Mars Mission Update: Veggies On Mars, Scientists Found A Possibility To Plant On Mars

As NASA's trip to Mars is highly anticipated scientists prepare eagerly all the things needed in the mission. They have to secure the most important thing that the astronauts would need, which is food. Now, experts try to determine if it is possible to grow food on the red planet.

A round-trip journey to Mars may take two and a half years as scientists estimated. The major challenge for this long mission is how the astronauts will carry their food for they will be travelling for a very long time. Thus, researchers are conducting a study on how astronauts could grow their own crops in order for them to extend their food supply. As such, seeds take less space to carry and have a longer shelf life compared to the full-grown plants.

NASA developed an artificial "Martian Gardens" at the NASA's Kennedy Space Center and the Florida Tech Buzz Aldrin Space Institute. It helps researchers to counter challenges against food production associated with Mars' arid landscape. As compared to planting in Mars it is way different from farming on Earth. Martian soil is composed of crushed volcanic rock with no organic material. NASA said that it is almost impossible for plant life, according to Space.com.

Trent Smith, project manager for the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) experiment at NASA's Kennedy Space Center said "We are using advances in science to learn about increasing plant production to supplement astronauts' diets. The Veggie experiment has allowed astronauts to garden in space and conduct experiments on plant biology on the International Space Station."

Scientists use soil from Hawaii to experiment the Martian Garden. It is the nearest kind of soil that can be found on Mars. Researchers tested on how much soil will the astronauts use and what nutrients should be added in the soil for the plants to grow on Mars.

As follows, senior project manager for food production at Kennedy Space Center Ralph Fritsche shared that "Discoveries made in these Earth-based 'Martian gardens' will pave the way for future studies and technology development in terms of reliable, efficient food production a long way from the home planet." He also added that they are near at the cutting edge of this research, as reported by Live Science.