2 min
Let’s talk about space! Why, space? Well, food production, like horticulture, can learn a lot from space exploration and the concept of living in space. And vice versa. That’s why we will present a short series on Horticulture & Space with Angelo Vermeulen. He is internationally praised for his ability to design, build, and operate complex projects that combine technology, sociology, and biology. Check his exciting track record in episode 1.
Episode 2: Greenhouses on Mars and other Misconceptions
You all know the beautiful illustrations of glass greenhouses on Mars. They make for nice images, but building greenhouses on Mars doesn’t make sense, Vermeulen explains. Martian dust will cover the glass and space radiation is too dangerous for crops as well as human beings. “It would make much more sense to build a growth chamber, which is like a closed room, with LED lighting and a fully controlled climate system.”
According to Vermeulen, we need a different perspective on the impact of space exploration for human civilization. “I see space as [part of] one continuum, it is interwoven with life on earth. You can’t disconnect space exploration from what is happening here on earth any longer. It is deeply interwoven. Space is not something separate. It is a tool with which we can take care of the earth. So many technologies we use on a daily basis - like internet and gps - are dependent on space or have been created by space technologists.”
Vermeulen “believes it will be very exciting to live on Mars.” Living on the Moon and Mars will become part of human life, Vermeulen has no doubt about that. “It is basically an extrapolation of human history. People seek out new areas, resources, and locations.”
Building a colony on Mars won’t happen anytime soon. “Going to Mars is a whole different story than going to the moon. It is hardly comparable.” When going to Mars, humans will first start with a scientific station. “Even the word colony is a very loaded word. Some people are advocating not to use the word colonization. We should talk about space settlement.”
Vermeulen believes in a post-planetary future. Living on a different planet is just one the options for human civilization. "Some people might rather live on an asteroid or in a settlement on moon or Mars. Or some might live in a spacecraft.”
You all know the beautiful illustrations of glass greenhouses on Mars. They make for nice images, but building greenhouses on Mars doesn’t make sense, Vermeulen explains. Martian dust will cover the glass and space radiation is too dangerous for crops as well as human beings. “It would make much more sense to build a growth chamber, which is like a closed room, with LED lighting and a fully controlled climate system.”
Mission to Mars
In Episode 1 Angelo Vermeulen shared his experience with Mission to Mars, a lecture series linking Space Research with Sustainable Horticulture. The scientific paper What horticulture and space exploration can learn from each other: The Mission to Mars initiative in the Netherlands about this initiative has been publiced recently in Acta Astronautica.
In Episode 1 Angelo Vermeulen shared his experience with Mission to Mars, a lecture series linking Space Research with Sustainable Horticulture. The scientific paper What horticulture and space exploration can learn from each other: The Mission to Mars initiative in the Netherlands about this initiative has been publiced recently in Acta Astronautica.
Space is not something separate. It is a tool with which we take care of earthDeeply interwoven
According to Vermeulen, we need a different perspective on the impact of space exploration for human civilization. “I see space as [part of] one continuum, it is interwoven with life on earth. You can’t disconnect space exploration from what is happening here on earth any longer. It is deeply interwoven. Space is not something separate. It is a tool with which we can take care of the earth. So many technologies we use on a daily basis - like internet and gps - are dependent on space or have been created by space technologists.”
Vermeulen “believes it will be very exciting to live on Mars.” Living on the Moon and Mars will become part of human life, Vermeulen has no doubt about that. “It is basically an extrapolation of human history. People seek out new areas, resources, and locations.”
Going to Mars is a whole different story than going to the moonCitizens of Space
Building a colony on Mars won’t happen anytime soon. “Going to Mars is a whole different story than going to the moon. It is hardly comparable.” When going to Mars, humans will first start with a scientific station. “Even the word colony is a very loaded word. Some people are advocating not to use the word colonization. We should talk about space settlement.”
Vermeulen believes in a post-planetary future. Living on a different planet is just one the options for human civilization. "Some people might rather live on an asteroid or in a settlement on moon or Mars. Or some might live in a spacecraft.”
NASA's Space-Digging RASSOR Robot
In the video Vermeulen talks about a space rover that can dig up regolith. Below video shows what it looks like.
In the video Vermeulen talks about a space rover that can dig up regolith. Below video shows what it looks like.
Related
Carolien Makkink I don't consider space exploration and good Earth stewardship to be fundamentally mutually exclusive. On the contrary. Here's a podcast episode that might also be of interest:
Jur Schuurman The book 'The Martian' is a terrific read. The unique blend of math, engineering and humor works remarkably well. The movie is not as good. That said, there's a number of issues with how Matt grows his potatoes. First of all, directly mixing faeces with soil wouldn't work very well. The faeces need to get composted first (broken down into smaller components). But for that to work, you need all the right bacteria, which are obviously not living on Mars. Also, without soil bacteria, the potatoes won't grow as well as on Earth. And lastly, working with potato cuttings might not be very successful because the potatoes would've been 'stabilized' before departure (using heat or radiation) and this process damages the cells. I doubt Matt Damon would actually survive. I'll check out the other references!
I was reminded of two movies and a book while reading this article.
The movies:
a) The Martian. I wonder what Vermeulen thinks of the way Matt Damon grows his potatoes on Mars.
b) Aniara, about living in a spacecraft.
The same theme (living in a spacecraft) is dealt with in Anthony Burgess' novel The end of the world news.
All highly recommended.
We should clean up the mess we made on earth first, before we go out to destroy other planets or asteroids