WhatFinger


Planets need Water

Lettuce and Cabbage



… and, perhaps, also radishes, snow peas, chard, and tomatoes – all for your balanced diet when dining on Mars. Those are the plants that the current investigators at NASA think that you may be able to grow on planet Mars, provided these plants can be grown there at all. That’s why NASA is studying the subject at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Of course, they have high level backing from the White House that is fostering this week’s conference on “White House Frontiers: Robots, Space Exploration, and the Future of American Innovation.” The conference has five main themes, one of which is “Interplanetary Frontiers.” What could possibly be wrong, or go wrong?
As you can see in the photo, below, some of the seedlings do well in either soil or nutrient supplement but not without them. Am I wrong to ask if that is that a novel finding? Have the millions of farmers around the world not known that for thousands of years already? Don’t misunderstand me; lettuce and cabbage are healthy as they provide vitamins, nutrients, fiber, etc. However, none of those plants, individually or in combination could provide a balanced diet, neither on Earth nor on Mars. Perhaps it’s the water -- clearly visible in the glass ampules -- that makes the difference? Oh, wait, that, too, is ancient wisdom, not rocket science. All plants need water – and plenty of it.
Fig. 1. Plants grown in (left to right) potting soil, regolith simulant with added nutrients, and simulant without nutrients. Credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis.

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Plan(e)ts need Water

If you have ever flown in an airplane high above the western states, you may have seen circular green spots dotting the landscape. Those are patches of irrigated land, where plants are growing well, like in the Google-Earth screenshot picture next. Each circle is in the order of half a mile across. (See Below) Unfortunately, that’s where the story unravels in a hurry. Water is scarce on planet Mars. Practically speaking it is absent on Mars. Soil or no soil, nutrient supplements or not, water will be one of the limiting factors that could enable life there – any of the life forms known on planet Earth. Plants (and planets) need water for life to flourish. While it may well be possible for mankind to land some earthlings on Mars, eventually, the cost will be immense (also to the people involved) and – the really important question – to what avail? Fig. 2. How water makes plants grow; a high altitude view of irrigated areas in the western plains of the U.S. When President Kennedy, in 1961, encouraged the nation to embark on preparations for a landing on the Moon, it was a great challenge. That challenge was met a decade later and a few more times in the years following. Since then though, it has not been found worth repeating, as I surmise, for one important reason: Is the return worth the effort? If it really had been would we not have returned “en masse?”

What’s the Return on Investment?

Returns on investments can come in various forms and may take time to develop in full. Some financial gurus think in terms of decades, so I’m told. However, the current POTUS appears to think in even greater dimensions, as apparent from his recent statement:
"We'll still look to the stars in wonder, as humans have since the beginning of time. But instead of eagerly awaiting the return of our intrepid explorers, we'll know that because of the choices we make now, they've gone to space not just to visit, but to stay — and in doing so, to make our lives better here on Earth."
Surely, that ought to be quite encouraging to everyone: settling on Mars AND “doing good” on Earth, all in one fell swoop. And any intrepid would-be-settler gets free (??) help from luminaries like Elon Musk, president, CEO, etc. of the Tesla, SpaceX, and SolarCity companies, all of which get multi-billion dollar benefits from tax-payers in various jurisdictions. Of course, there are mutual benefits, based on “donations” for the “right cause.” Some people think that those companies’ return on investment is a bit meager; we can’t blame them. If you are not in the market for a one-way ticket to Mars, on anyone’s rocket, even the “sale price” is rather immaterial. Besides, the food there just isn’t up to par!


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Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser -- Bio and Archives

Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser is author of CONVENIENT MYTHS, the green revolution – perceptions, politics, and facts Convenient Myths


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