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| Topic: Potatoes n Mars - NASA | |
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For once NASA has taken a holistic view: cultivating potatoes in / on Mars. It's like being neighborly rather than rocket out to some earth-like-planets shortlisted to some 22 in some distant galaxy; but the nearest one being some 22 light years away. NASA's confidence is based on their work in Peru.
the image of Mars that we all are familiar with: rocks and dust and add to that NASA's recent admission: their are salt deposits in them canyons and hence water's presence exists (although in a form we may not quite like). 
The first four questions that spring to (my) mind are: 1. why just potatoes? 2. how may acres do we need to cultivate before sending people there? (determines the biosphere diameter) 3. Does NASA have to ship rodents (or kangaroos if one is fussy) who will feed on the tubers and be next level source of human feed? (the fine thing about rats is that they can burrow into the soil and escape radiation). meantime NASA also has a wacky set (liberals) they cannot ignore: 
recently, somewhere i read An analysis of data obtained by the Pathfinder mission to the Red Planet in 1997 suggests there could be chlorophyll - the molecule used by plants and other organisms on Earth to extract energy from sunlight - in the soil close to the landing site.
blimey! one of best kept secrets NASA till date. then i chance to what is sexiest expression on life.. A pigment found in plants, some algae, and bacteria that allows these organisms to catch sunlight
This energy is used to drive photosynthesis, a process that converts carbon dioxide and water into the simple sugar glucose Photosynthesis is the starting point for nearly all life on Earth It is the great abundance of chlorophyll in leaves and other tissues that makes plants appear green again for my liberal friends, if red is color of passion, green is color of fertility...  , alright .. alright.
4. obviously land required to Terra-form for 100 people consumption of potatoes (baked, fried, chips) for a decade; the diameter of the biosphere farm: and if any member would like to expand on the bio-sphere, i happen to have hands on experience building a few in India. |
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this may come as a surprise to members, i happen to be halfway expert in dome construction
what is a geodesic dome - one of few in India. the Geodesic concept - American is right! but i was the *** marked to build the first cliff hangars (domes) in India - Himalayan foothills. and Himalayas are 'shale rocks' not the kind one could pin an anchor bolt on... haha, 2 months after completing the job, got sacked by the new company finance director cause i hmm, ego.., having achieved something on those heights!! shows how poor-ful finance directors can be.. 
story is some 10 years now. getting back, those glass shell domes retain all heat. skin burn is nothing on those heights, in summer. Conclusion: it's a very hot n dry soil on which mars potatoes would grow! |
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The tubers are from Peru's mountain region... The experiment, which began in January, is taking place at Lima’s International Potato Center (CIP), a nonprofit research center aimed at achieving food security... For the experiment, researchers hauled 200 pounds of soil from La Joya Pampas, a region in the Atacama Desert known for its similarities to Martian soil, to CIP. Now, they are testing each potato to see if they are capable of growing in such harsh, dry conditions. If they aren’t, the team will attempt to infuse the soil with nutrients and also try using aeroponics, where plants are grown in a moist environment without soil. Josh Hrala who wrote the article ends with.. "Perhaps potatoes might be one of our tickets off this rock." article: http://www.popsci.com/nasa-is-growing-potatoes-in-peru-to-simulate-martian-conditions |
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Edited by
JaiGi
on
Mon 02/22/16 09:55 PM
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On second thoughts, NASA may take a two prong approach: 1. With selection from Peru 2. With aero-ponics, they might as well go with the best, Idaho variety. Just visualizing, a farm mission to Mars. With the Peru variety, NASA can avoid using mechanized diggers, you know: Dig, Filter out the rocks, Replace the top soil... all that's bypassed. 
Just cannon - spray out the seeds. Place a dome over it. wait for a week, Pump in a bit of oxygen wait for 3 months... except for the domes, rovers could complete rest-of-labor. -might as well cover some 200 acres.. |
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Edited by
nailcap
on
Fri 02/26/16 07:17 PM
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No water no how......but still the good choice of transmitting base. And some day when those lala scientists can kidnaping one of Jupiter's son then it goes.........
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MARS-BEFORE
MARS-AFTER 
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Eat me!
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heh, heh, heh...
welcome back, Tulip. what a potato, you flirt. |
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