So far, manned missions to Mars are in the planning stage and it is not known when a human foot will set foot on the surface of the Red Planet. Although some experts suggest that this may happen in the not too distant future. But people on Mars will need something to eat to survive. The authors of the new study offer their own solution to this problem. And fish can help in this, which can be used to transform the Martian regolith into fertile soil, write Universe Today.
Mars is located at a distance of more than 54 million km from Earth, and with the help of current technologies, a one-way flight will take approximately 7 months. Astronauts also need to live on Mars for a while and then return back. And all this time the conquerors of the Red Planet need something to eat. The authors of the study believe that if you create an aquarium for fish on the Martian base, then they can also be used for food. And the nutrient-rich water will help fertilize and grow plants in the Martian regolith.
If you've seen the movie "The Martian" with Matt Damon, you know how harsh the conditions are on Mars. At the same time, the main character managed to grow a crop of potatoes in the Martian regolith, fertilized with human feces. In real life, this may not be so practical, but there are alternatives.
Given the fact that future colonists on Mars will have to grow fresh food on site, scientists decided to find out how feasible this idea is. The atmosphere of Mars consists of 95% carbon dioxide. Mars has the same day length, but longer periods of light will be needed to grow crops. It may be possible to extract water from the ice that forms on the Martian rocks and inside them. Stones certainly contain water, but there are also known organic compounds.
The scientists wanted to find out how fish could help grow vegetables and whether aquarium water could be used to fertilize the Martian regolith. To do this, they installed an aquaponic system with fish in aquariums to produce a liquid rich in nutrients. Scientists have discovered that aquaponic systems not only promote the growth of plants within the system itself, but the nutrient-rich water also acts as an excellent fertilizer.
As a result, the regolith turned into something similar to soil suitable for growing plants. With the help of fish and water from the aquarium, scientists were able to grow potatoes, tomatoes, beans, carrots and other plants in imitation of Martian soil.
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