Creating Gas On Mars
While we often envision future Martian colonies powered by solar, steam or nuclear power, one aspect we often neglect is the human rated rovers that will be criss crossing the planet.
Fortunately it looks like technology developed on Earth may aid rover ranging explorers on Mars.
The idea is to use the sun to power chemical plants able to split carbon dioxide. Combine the resulting carbon monoxide with hydrogen and you have the beginnings of a solar fuel that could one day replace oil. [...] Now, Konstandopoulos and colleagues have successfully used the same reactor technology and process to split carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide in the lab. Two reactors running simultaneously could generate hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which could be combined into synthetic fuel using one of two established chemical processes, says Konstandopoulos. In the Sabatier process the two gases are heated at high pressure in the presence of a nickel catalyst to produce methane or methanol, while in theFischer-Tropsch process an iron-based catalyst is used to generate liquid hydrocarbon fuels. (New Scientist)
Although scientists have already explored technology that could turn Martian air into fuel, it’s good to see others pursuing this idea on our home planet.
While the first Martian rovers carrying humans will probably be fully electric, over time we may see settlers transition to fuel based rovers (provided the economics converting Martian air support it).
Even though this technology would probably not replace fossil fuels on Earth (due to the cost and “ease” of extracting oil), it may help our fuel our descendants travels on our neighboring planet. (via Gizmodo)
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NASA: Omega-3 Everyday Can Keep The Bone Loss Away (Micro Gravity)
One of the biggest hurdles preventing humanity from settling the final frontier is micro gravity.
While it may be fun to float in the air like jelly fish floats in water, micro gravity can wreck serious damage upon our bodies, turning strong bones into brittle skeletons.
Fortunately it looks as if the boys and girls at NASA may have found a solution to our woes via a fatty acid by the name of Omega-3.
(NASA) NASA-sponsored studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may play a role in mitigating bone breakdown that occurs during spaceflight and in osteoporosis. Ongoing research for decades has looked for ways to stop bone density loss in astronauts. [...]
In a series of cell-based studies, scientists documented that adding a specific omega-3 fatty acid to cells would inhibit the activation of factors that lead to bone breakdown. This was true in both typical cell cultures and those designed to mimic weightlessness. The inhibited factor is known as “nuclear factor kappa B” or NFκB. NFκB is involved in immune system behavior and the inflammation process. The activation of NFκB in different tissues can lead to bone and muscle loss.
Combined with medical drugs (which will help keep our muscles strong), humanity may finally be able to dwell among the heavens above without fear of their bodies deteriorating in deep space.
While this probably means that sea food, will become apart of the future diet (especially for water rich worlds like the Moon, Mars and Callisto), this revelation may also help make living off world a little bit easier (if not tastier as well).
(via SpaceRef, Image Credit: Medline Plus)
Read MoreWater Plus Sunlight Equals Clean Energy For Mars?
Unlike its big terrestrial sister (aka Earth), Mars is sorely lacking in the energy department.
While future Martian cities may eventually be powered by algae, solar steam or even geothermal power plants, colonists are going to need an energy source to immediately ”power up” their off world outposts.
Fortunately it looks like researches may have discovered a solution that could make living upon Mars a reality.
(Emory University) Emory University chemists have developed the most potent homogeneous catalyst known for water oxidation, considered a crucial component for generating clean hydrogen fuel using only water and sunlight. The breakthrough, to be published in “Science” and released online by the journal March 11, was made in collaboration with the Paris Institute of Molecular Chemistry. [...]
The long-term goal is to use sunlight to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen becomes the fuel. Its combustion produces the by-product of water – which flows back into a clean, green, renewable cycle.
Since Mars receives approximately half of the sunlight as Earth does, future colonists may have to look towards a temporary chemical solution rather than an innovative solar panel (like solar rods).
Although this innovative technology is far from perfect (as there are still major hurdles to overcome), it could pave the way for not only green energy on Earth, but help “jump start” colonies on Mars too.
(Image: Bubbles form during water oxidation, catalyzed by the new tetra-cobalt water oxidation catalyst. Credit: Benjamin Yin)
(via Mars News)
Read MoreOff World Colonies Will Have Organ Labs (But No Organ Donors)
(Image Courtesy of Gizmodo)
One of the beauties of living on planet Earth is that if you ever have an organ fail, you can easily sign up for a new one before the rest of your body expires (well, at least you can in China).
However if one lives upon say Mars, the dwarf world Ceres or the Galilean mega moons of Ganymede and Callisto, your options of finding a suitable match may be close to zero.
Instead of waiting for suitable donor organ from Earth, it may be more practical for off world settlers to grow their own instead.
(Gizmodo) Laboratory-grown organs and tissues are already benefiting patients today. For example, laboratory-grown bladders are being tested in children with spina bifida and adults with spinal cord injuries and will soon be tested in patients with bladder cancer. Tissue engineering technology has been used to repair narrowed urethras, the tube that empties urine from the body.
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine has already made great strides in producing functioning organs which will potentially benefit millions of individuals on Earth.
Led by Anthony Atala, this medical technology could have the potential of affecting millions of future settlers across our star system, enabling them to live with greater independence from our home world.
Space Cancer Begone, Via Terrestrial Stroke Drug?
(Image Credit: Pat Kenny, via National Cancer Institute)
Despite the beauty and tranquility that comes with viewing the cosmos close up, the reality is space is a very dangerous place thanks to radiation.
Aside from the fact that it can turn your brain into mush, space radiation can also encourage cancer to form, leading to an early death for a future space settler.
Fortunately a drug designed to fight off strokes may also help space colonists defeat a future foe.
(Haaretz) Israeli scientists have identified a substance that can kill cancerous cells without harming healthy ones, paving the way for more effective cancer treatment. [...]
The substance identified by the researchers, which delays cell proliferation in healthy and cancerous cells, is a component of a drug developed a decade ago to preserve nerve cells and prevent them from dying after a stroke.
But while the drug causes the rapid death of cancer cells, healthy cells activate a mechanism that overcomes the delay in proliferation within hours, and those cells continue to proliferate exactly like cells not exposed to the substance.
This is really good news, especially considering that there are very few radiation safe worlds within our star system.
If perfected, this drug (along with an anti-radiation drug) could enable humans to safely dwell upon Mars, Callisto and (with heavy shielding) Ganymede too.
Read MoreNASA To Irradiate Monkeys (What Will PETA Say?)
(Image Credit: Space Chimps)
If humanity is to ever conquer the final frontier, then we have to understand the effects of radiation beyond current assumptions.
Since human subjects are hard to find, it looks like NASA has chosen the next best thing–monkeys.
(Telegraph.co.uk) If a manned mission to Mars ever takes place, the human pilots will be outside Earth’s protective magnetic field for several months, unprotected from solar radiation. Little research has been done on this sort of long-term exposure to low doses of radiation. [...]
Eleanor Blakely, a biophysicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said: “Obviously, the closer we get to man, the better.”
The researchers are to pay particular attention to the effects on the monkeys’ central nervous systems and behaviour. The monkeys, previously trained to perform a variety of tasks, will be tested to see how the exposure affects their performance.
While PETA has yet to publicly show their displeasure regarding these tests (via their blog or on Facebook), these experiments are necessary in order to determine whether its safe to live off world (as there are not many radiation safe worlds within our star system).
NASA is already promising that the monkeys used in the experiment will have free health care for the rest of their lives, although the data from these tests should help determine how safe it is for humanity to travel to other worlds–along with all of their animal friends too.
(Update: Hat Tip Mars News)
Update (11/19): It looks like PETA has spoken. Oy!
Read MoreLunar Dust Dilemma Solved (Via Space Umbrellas?)
Despite having the potential to feed our energy gluttonous world, lunar dust can be fetal to both humans and our robot friends, not to mention very electric (thanks in part to the solar wind).
While scientists have suggested melting down nearby Moon soil in order to counter the rough dust particles, it may be better to construct large space umbrellas thanks to new research regarding lunar dust.
(Moon Today) “Before you can manage the dust, you have to understand what makes it sticky,” says Brian O’Brien, the sole author of the paper. His analysis is the first to measure the strength of lunar dust’s adhesive forces, how they change during the lunar day — which lasts 710 hours — and differ on vertical and horizontal surfaces. O’Brien used data from the matchbox-sized Dust Detector Experiments deployed on the Moon’s surface in 1969 during the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions. [...]
O’Brien found that later, as the Sun rose and the angle of incidence of the Sun’s rays on the dusty vertical surface facing east decreased, the electrostatic forces on the vertical cell weakened. The tipping point was reached when the Sun was at an angle of about 45 degrees: then the pull of lunar gravity counteracted the adhesive forces and made the dust start falling off. All dust had fallen by lunar night.
“These are the first measurements of the collapse of the cohesive forces that make lunar dust so sticky” O’Brien says.
If the Sun is really influencing the stickiness of lunar dust, then the easiest way to combat it may be to erect an enormous space umbrella over the Lunar base.
While this may not give a future settlement an aesthetic look (which would not matter unless one was into the lunar hotel business), it could help reduce the amount of dust that makes it inside these future space habitats (a feature that may appeal to long term residents).
(Image Credit: Fashionably Geek)
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Did Somebody Say Anti-Germ Space Paint?
Aside from radiation, micro gravity and cabin fever, keeping a space ship clean can easily spell the difference between life and death.
Since micro gravity has a way of encouraging the growth of deadly organisms, future explorers will probably have to spend a lot of time keeping their “space trailer” squeaky clean–especially the walls.
While cleaning up the space ship may appeal to those in love with Mr. Clean, it may be better for space agencies to coat their space craft walls with anti-germ paint instead.
(Fox News) Scientists at the University of South Dakota have invented a new germ-killing molecule that can be added to commercial brands of paint to give the paint long-lasting antimicrobial properties.
The molecule includes a bleach-like substance called an N-halamine. N-halamines are already used widely, but the South Dakota researchers were able to develop a new type known as Cl-TMPM. [...]
In tests, Staphylococcus aureus organisms were killed with 10 minutes of contact, and E coli organisms were killed with 5 minutes of contact. Paint treated with Cl-TMPM was even effective against the superbug MRSA and other drug-resistant bacteria.
Unfortunately the new paint is only effective against a small selection of organisms, although hopefully scientists will be able to expand it to a variety of organisms known to infest human habitats (whether on our homeworld, off world or even in space).
If perfected, this paint would not only save future explorers countless hours in “de-germing” their extra terrestrial habitats, but make living on another world a lot safer as well.
(Image Credit: eHow)
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3 House Plants You May See On Mars, Callisto And Saturn's Titan
Whether it takes a few decades or a few centuries, humans will probably populate the solar system along with a few animal friends such as dogs, pigs and ants.
While one may also expect bamboo to dominate much of the visible plant life (at least as far as off world forests go), we may find space colony offices filled with a few specific house plants.
(GreenSpaces Blog) We have tried and tested these plants for 15 years at Paharpur Business Centre and Software Technology Incubator Park (PBC™ – STIP) in New Delhi, India. It is a 20 year old, 50,000 ft2 building, with over 1,200 plants for 300 building occupants.
PBC™ – STIP is rated the healthiest building in Delhi by the Government of India.* Their study found that there is a 42% probability of increasing blood oxygen by 1% if one is inside the building for 10 hours. [...]
We saved over 15% in energy costs as we did not have to inject 15-20 cfm of fresh air in to the building as suggested by ASHRAE – an industry standard.
Unless one is fortunate enough to live on the Moon, oxygen will be considered a precious commodity off world.
Despite their fancy names, these three plants may not only help keep air fresh and clean, but they could also help reduce the overall cost and energy needed to maintain a space colony (which is good news for space settlers heading for Mars, Callisto and Titan).
While this may mean that off world settlers will have to hire an extra gardener to ensure that these plants are growing up healthy and strong, future colonists may welcome the extra greenery (as it may help keep them from becoming too home sick).
(Hat Tip: LifeHacker)
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Finally! Magnetic Shields For Space Ships (And Colonies Too)
(Hat Tip: Potentia Tenebras Repellendi, Image Credit: Edited by ProjectRHO.com, Original art work by Winchell Chung)
People often say that space is the final frontier. While our future may lie among the stars that shine from above, humanity will forever will be pondering the distant celestial lights if our species can not find a way to deal with the deadly radiation that drifts throughout our star system.
Fortunately it looks as if scientists from the United Kingdom may be on the edge of creating artificial magnetic bubbles after announcing their plans of developing this technology last year.
(Telegraph) The idea of a “mini-magnetosphere” has been around since the 1960s but it was thought impractical because it was believed that only a very large – more than 100km wide – magnetic bubble could possibly work. This would involve enormous amounts of energy and massive machinery.
But the British team, which published its results in the journal Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, has come up with a system that would be about the size of a playground roundabout and use the same energy as a kettle.
They envisage two “mini-magnetospheres” being housed in two outrider satellites in front of the space craft that when a storm approaches would switch on the shield and deflect the deadly rays.
While this would tremendously benefit future astronauts traveling throughout our star system, it would also enable us to safely establish large outposts on the Moon, Mars and Ganymede (as Callisto, Titan, Earth and a few Saturan moons are the only radiation safe worlds within our star system).
It may also enable us to bring along all of our animal and insect friends (like bees), instead of having to rely upon creatures who may not need Earth’s magnetic influence in order to carry out critical functions (one example being ants).
Note: Since creating these mini magnetic fields will probably require a lot of energy, we will probably have to use a miniature nuclear reactor to provide enough power to keep the radiation out (and the life support on).
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Space Water: Using Algae, Bacteria To Warn If Drinking Is Dangerous
(Hat Tip: IsraGood, Twice, Image Credit: Nicky At Bar Ilan University)
Even though humanity is blessed with an abundance of water stretching from our Earthen homeworld to the frigid edges of our solar system, most of it is probably not safe enough to drink without some heavy filtering.
Since most of the water mined will probably be used to quench thirsty plants and trees, it may be wise to simply test the water samples for safety using bacteria and algae (in order to reduce cost).
(Israel 21st Century) Luminescent bacteria glow at night on the beaches in Costa Rica and the Mediterranean Sea. Now an Israeli start-up has developed a novel and economical solution that uses these unusual micro organisms to help keep drinking water clean and safe. [...]
When the bacteria are placed in drinking water that contains harmful chemicals, they glow a warning signal, which can be read by a machine measuring light intensity. [...]
“We can go out to the water source and test on the spot. You will know in 15 minutes – the time it takes for the bacteria and sensors to respond to any number of contaminants in the water. Our system detects them at low concentrations, and very quickly,” she explains.
This nifty technique from CheckLight could help future colonists tell whether water is healthy enough for their space crops, as well as for their families to drink.
While these microscopic “friends” would be useful in helping us identify whether space water is safe to consume, scientists may be able to use algae to help them determine what exactly is contaminating their H2O.
(Israel 21st Century) The groundbreaking development by scientists at Bar Ilan University’s Faculty of Life Sciences is based on measurements of the level of photosynthesis in aquatic plants and uses a special aquatic microphone to pick up sound waves. [...]
The researchers radiate a green laser beam on the aquatic plant. A plant that hasn’t realized its full photosynthesis potential will use part of the laser light, converting it into energy, with the rest being converted into heat. This heat causes the water to expand and therefore produce a change in pressure, which is actually a sound wave that can be picked up by a hydrophone – a special microphone designed for the water. [...]
A plant suffering from lead poisoning, discharged as waste into water sources from battery and paint manufacturing plants, will produce a different resonance to that of a plant suffering from lack of iron, or to that of a healthy plant.
Even though a few species of algae can already be used to help create bio-fuel (which will be useful for human powered rovers), future colonists may want to consider giving these slimy creatures a “second job,” as they could help us find ways to purify any toxins in the contaminated water (instead of just simply disposing the water).
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The (Frozen) Red Planet
Despite the fact that Mars has an abundance of water upon its poles, many scientists were hoping that underground oceans existed beneath its surface.
Unfortunately it seems as if recent scans of the Martian north pole indicate that if Mars does contain underground oceans, they may a much deeper than what we previously expected.
(Space.com) An international team of scientists used the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to probe the north pole of the red planet with radar. The ice cap there goes about 1.2 miles deep (2 km) and is roughly the size of Pakistan at 310,000 square miles large (800,000 square km). [...]
Unexpectedly, the radar scans also revealed the massive weight of the ice cap does not deform any underlying sediment. This implies the crust beneath the cap is strong — more than 180 miles thick (300 km).
To have such a thick crust, “Mars might be colder than we thought,” Phillips told SPACE.com. As a result, any liquid water that might be underground has to be buried even deeper than once speculated. “If one thought that liquid water was 5 kilometers deep (3 miles), it’s now at least 30 percent deeper than that,” he said.
While the planet’s colder side may make it harder to terraform the crimson world, it may convince the first colonists to establish outposts near the north and south Martian poles (instead of searching for “liquid water wells”).
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Russia: Oxygen Plus Argon Equals Future Martian Air?
While NASA plans on finding ways for us to “recycle our air,” Russia is trying to find the perfect balance for a breathable atmosphere on board a future Martian spacecraft.
(Universe Today) Volunteers in Russia are testing the ability of humans to breathe argon-enriched air, as part of a research program that simulates a manned trip to Mars. Researchers want to know if humans can survive breathing air similar to that found on Mars. Of the experiment one Russian scientist said, “Our experiments show that argon combined with the right portion of oxygen is safe for humans. I tested it on myself and I’m OK, and volunteers are also doing fine.”
Despite the fact that argon is apart of the Martian atmosphere, some may wonder why the scientists chose that over nitrogen, since their is more nitrogen than argon on the red planet.
The answer lies with the fact that argon is a lot safer than nitrogen, as the latter has the potential to bond with oxygen (via static heat), which can form Nitric Oxide–or even worse, Nitrogen Dioxide), which can be fetal towards humans.
Argon on the other hand is not only non-toxic, but it can resist bonding with other elements (as it is more stable) giving future astronauts fewer headaches to worry about.
This makes Argon the perfect “filler gas” (as pure oxygen is too dangerous), and this experiment may make it possible for humans to one day visit, and perhaps live on Mars.
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Will Ants Replace Bees As The Solar Insect?
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.”
King Solomon, Proverbs 6:6-8
Bees–whether you love them or hate them are an important insect, contributing an enormous amount to our food supply.
Without them, many of the foods that we eat (and take for granted) would be in scarce supply, which would be devastating for millions of tummies (not to mention agricultural stock holders) around the world.
Like many creatures, bees are dependent upon Earth’s magnetic field, which helps them navigate to and from their hive.
Unfortunately for humanity, global magnetic fields are a rarity throughout our solar system, as the only known “rocky” worlds hosting them belong to both Mercury and Jupiter’s moon, Ganymede.
Unless humanity is able to create an artificial magnetic field that can cover the entire planet, future off world settlers will become heavily dependent on both Mercury and Ganymede to grow their “daily bread” (not to mention Earth as well).
In order to avoid this scenario, our species will probably have to look towards another creature to help us grow our fruits and flowers–which may mean that humanity may have to rely upon ants to help raise our food supply off world.
While colonists would probably object towards importing fire ants (or even those flesh eating kind), they may want to consider adopting ants as a means of pollinating their flower crops and trees.
Even though they lack “the buzz” of their black and yellow friends, ants nonetheless are known to pollinate flowers.
Since many fruit trees require pollination in order produce a crop, ants may be able to compliment off world outposts since these insects rely upon smell, and not magnetic fields to guide themselves across long distances.
Like their flying “cousins,” some ant species are known to breed large colonies, which may make it easier for settlers to export numerous these creatures to other locations without the fear of depleting the original ant colony.
Despite the fact that when comparing apples to apples (note: no pun intended), bees far outstrip their dirt walkers when it comes to pollination (due to their flying ability), scientists may be able to train ants to aggressively pollinate plants grown off world, enabling future colonies to grow their own food supply instead of importing most of it from Earth.
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Radiation Belt Study Could Unlock Outer Lunar Worlds
(Image: Illustration of two NASA probes set to explore Earth’s radiation belts. Credit: NASA)
Even though there are approximately 83 colony worlds within our solar system, many of these worlds orbit gas giants who unfortunately bathe their lunar children in deadly radiation.
In an attempt to understand these radiation belts, NASA is launching probes in order to gain more information regarding Earth’s radiation belt.
(Astrobiology Magazine) NASA will launch two identical probes into the radiation belts to provide unprecedented insight into the physical dynamics of near-Earth space, where violent space weather can affect astronauts, satellites and even ground-based technologies. Data collected by the probes will aid in the development of future space missions beyond Earth orbit. [...]
“The radiation belts were a scientific curiosity when they were discovered 50 years ago by James Van Allen, who was one of the founding members of APL,” said Barry Mauk, project scientist for RBSP. “But the belts are becoming very important because we have people and machines operating in them. That region of space is now part of our technology infrastructure. If we can understand the radiation belt environment and its variability, we can apply this knowledge to improve our spacecraft operation and system design, mission planning and astronaut safety.”
Understanding these radiation belts could aid in humanity establishing colonies upon Ganymede, Saturn’s icy ring moons, and Neptune’s Triton, who orbit within their respective planets radiation belts.
While future settlers would probably have to live within Aquarium homes (guarded by magnetic shields), this research could teach us how to survive upon these rugged spheres instead of limiting ourselves to living upon radiation safe worlds.
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New Drug May Help Counter Muscle Loss From Micro Gravity
(Hat Tip: RLV Transport News)
In order to counter the side effects of micro gravity, scientists (and engineers) are going to have to come up with creative ways to maintain body strength, especially if a future space traveler wants to set foot upon another world.
While settlers living on planets (and large moons) could easily wear gravity suits in order to ensure that they make it back to Earth, space travelers may have to settle for medication to ease their atrophy woes.
(Science Daily) Taking daily recommended dosages of ibuprofen and acetaminophen caused a substantially greater increase over placebo in the amount of quadriceps muscle mass and muscle strength gained during three months of regular weight lifting, in a study by physiologists at the Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University. [...]
Over three months, says Dr. Trappe, the chronic consumption of ibuprofen or acetaminophen during resistance training appears to have induced intramuscular changes that enhance the metabolic response to resistance exercise, allowing the body to add substantially more new protein to muscle.
Doctors are already working on ways to counter bone loss, which may be good news for future explorers intending upon making long voyages in order to reach distant planets.
While an orbital space station (Bigelow style) would probably be a wiser route to take, this new drug may be helpful towards future colonists prefering to live upon “gravity-lite” star ships and asteroids.
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Rotifers To Radiation: Resistance Is Possible
(Image: The bdelloid rotifer Philodina roseola (ca 400 microns), Credit: Harvard, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology)
Researchers have discovered an interesting organism that seems to have an ability to withstand large doses of radiation that would normally kill most plants and animals.
(Astrobiology Magazine) “Bdelloid rotifers are far more resistant to ionizing radiation than any of the hundreds of other animal species for which radiation resistance has been examined,” says Meselson, Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “They are able to recover and resume normal reproduction after receiving a dose of radiation that shatters their genomes, causing hundreds of DNA double-strand breaks which they are nevertheless able to repair.” [...]
Such radiation resistance appears not to be the result of any special protection of DNA itself against breakage, the researchers say, but instead reflects bdelloid rotifers’ extraordinary ability to protect their DNA-repairing machinery from radiation damage.
According to the article these little creatures were able to withstand up to five times the dosage of regular organisms, and still come out “unscathed.” If scientists can figure out how to replicate their feature within various plant and animal species, we may be able to raise crop on radiation soaked worlds such as Mars and Ganymede.
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Water Plus Moon Dust Equals Hardy Bacteria Snack?
(Image Credit: NSF, via New Scientist Space)
Despite the fact that lunar dust is hostile to most earthen plant life, it looks as if one bacteria does not mind taking “a bite” out of the white stuff.
(New Scientist Space) A hardy life form called cyanobacteria can grow in otherwise inhospitable lunar soil, new experiments suggest. Future colonists on the Moon might be able to use the cyanobacteria to extract resources from the soil that could be used to make rocket fuel and fertiliser for crops. [...]
When put in a container with water and simulated lunar soil, the cyanobacteria were found to produce acids that are amazingly good at breaking down tough minerals, including ilmenite.
They use the nutrients freed up this way to grow and reproduce. “This is unbelievable,” Brown told New Scientist. Breaking down the same minerals artificially would require heating them to very high temperatures, which uses enormous amounts of energy, he says. Cyanobacteria, on the other hand, use only sunlight for energy, though they do their extraction work more slowly than heating the soil artificially.
While the Cyanobacteria will not help us grow food directly upon lunar soil, they could enable us to easily mine the surface without resorting to shovels and drills. Future colonists could then simply use lunar vacuum cleaners to collect the moon dust, and let these hardy bacteria do the rest.
Since water is probably scarce on the moon, lunar residents will probably have to either choose to import H2O for both themselves and their microscopic friends, or simply modify the bacteria genetically to survive on human urine.
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Should We Grow Lichen On Mars?
(Image Credit: L. Sancho, via New Scientist Space)
Lichen, known for growing upon rocks, trees and run down buildings seems to be able to thrive in an hostile environment that would kill most (if not all) complex life forms.
(New Scientist Space) Once in Earth orbit, the lid of the container opened and the samples were exposed to the space environment for nearly 15 days before the lid resealed and the capsule returned to Earth.
The lichens were subjected to the vacuum of space and to temperatures ranging from -20°C on the night side of the Earth, to 20°C on the sunlit side. They were also exposed to glaring ultraviolet radiation of the Sun.
“To our big surprise, everything went fine after the flight,” says Rene Demets, ESA’s project scientist for the Foton project. “The lichens were in exactly the same shape as before flight.”
In order to survive the hostilities of space, the lichens reverted to a dormant state until they were able to encounter more favorable conditions again. Ironically (according to the article), if it were not for the low levels of oxygen on Mars, lichen would probably be able to thrive on the red planet.
Although often referred to as a single creature, lichen is in reality two separate organisms (algae and fungi) that help each other survive in what many would consider to be hostile, bitter environments.
If scientists can figure out how to enhance the lichen genes and adapt them to Martian soil, we may be able to eventually grow crops on that red desert world.
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Good News: Micro Gravity Great For Dangerous Bacteria
(Hat Tip: MarsNews.com)
Even though building micro gravity space stations may be cheaper in the long run, it may not be the healthiest choice for future colonists.
In a cruel twist of fate, it seems that micro gravity not only weakens our immune system, but ironically strengthens the defenses of dangerous bacteria.
(Space.com) Bacteria express different sets of genes in different environments to ensure their survival. Inhospitable conditions, for example, can turn on a “master switch” in some bacteria and allow the microbes to form tough spores that can survive the extreme conditions of space.
Prior to Nickerson and her team’s study, the genetic behavior of Salmonella typhimurium–the main culprit in cases of food poisoning and typhoid fever–was unknown. The microbe poses a significant threat to astronauts during spaceflight, especially because it is resistant to many antibiotic treatments.
The researchers’ experiment revealed that a genetic switch called “Hfq,” which may control more than 160 genes in S. typhimurium, turns on in space and causes S. typhimurium to become three times more virulent than on the Earth’s surface.
Researchers are currently working on ways to thwart this gene, as it could benefit humanity here down on Earth. In space however, colonists may have to consider sending along a “space janitor,” who can help keep the craft squeaky clean as star ships are already excellent when it comes to growing mold upon the rocket ships walls.
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