Humans landed on the moon for the first time 47 years ago. Now, NASA and other private companies could build and international colony up there within the next decade. Two of the main issues concerning space travel is the cost of sending food and the physical and mental condition of the astronauts. If scientists predict that we will have colonies on the moon and Mars they need to figure out a feasible way to feed the astronauts. Good morning/afternoon/evening, my name is Claudia Van Dyke and I represent the Blacksburg FFA Chapter.
There have been several astronauts who have successfully grown food like zucchini, sunflowers, lettuce and broccoli on the International Space Station (ISS). An unorthodox use of our tax dollars you might think, but consider this, those little plants could be the key to our future. If we eventually deplete Earth’s livability, space farming will prove vital to the …show more content…
It costs roughly $10,000 a pound to send food to ISS. There is a premium on densely caloric foods with long shelf lives and supply shuttles carry limited fresh produce, which the astronauts consume almost immediately. Naturally, the dream is to have a regenerative growth system, so food can be grown continually on the space station or potentially on moon colonies. The lettuce grown was specifically chosen because it grows quickly and is loaded with antioxidants. Eventually vegetables may include radishes, snap peas and tomatoes, designed to take up little space. Plant size is a vital calculation in deciding what to grow. Harvest time is also extremely important; scientists want to maximize growth cycles within each crew’s average 6-month stay. Leafy greens are ideal because they are ready to be consumed as soon as they are picked. Potatoes or sweet potatoes are not very good raw. Clearly plants that need processing make less appealing candidates for space
There have been several astronauts who have successfully grown food like zucchini, sunflowers, lettuce and broccoli on the International Space Station (ISS). An unorthodox use of our tax dollars you might think, but consider this, those little plants could be the key to our future. If we eventually deplete Earth’s livability, space farming will prove vital to the …show more content…
It costs roughly $10,000 a pound to send food to ISS. There is a premium on densely caloric foods with long shelf lives and supply shuttles carry limited fresh produce, which the astronauts consume almost immediately. Naturally, the dream is to have a regenerative growth system, so food can be grown continually on the space station or potentially on moon colonies. The lettuce grown was specifically chosen because it grows quickly and is loaded with antioxidants. Eventually vegetables may include radishes, snap peas and tomatoes, designed to take up little space. Plant size is a vital calculation in deciding what to grow. Harvest time is also extremely important; scientists want to maximize growth cycles within each crew’s average 6-month stay. Leafy greens are ideal because they are ready to be consumed as soon as they are picked. Potatoes or sweet potatoes are not very good raw. Clearly plants that need processing make less appealing candidates for space