in

Lunar greenhouse prototype designed to grow vegetables in space

Lunar greenhouse prototype designed to grow vegetables in space

What if you wanted to grow food in places where the climate isn’t so friendly? At the University of Arizona, agricultural engineers developed a prototype 18-foot greenhouse designed to grow vegetables in space.

Plant scientists developed a computerized system that uses water-cooled sodium vapor lamps instead of sunlight and mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil.

“It provides carbon dioxide, it provides water, it provides nutrients and it provides light,” says Dr. Gene Giacomelli, of the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center in Tucson.

The Lunar Greenhouse, a robotic recycling and food production chamber, is inspired by concepts from UA’s commercial hydroponic greenhouse. Engineers say a collapsible module could be flown in on a spacecraft, deployed, and be growing food even before explorers arrive. “The water turns on, the lights turn on, the seeds that are already put in place begin to grow,” Dr. Giocomelli said.

University of Arizona scientists are already testing the lunar greenhouse concept not on the moon but at the South Pole. A greenhouse module deployed to the South Pole is up and running, growing vegetables for researchers that are working in an area typically cut off from the outside world six to eight months a year.

source

uaeng

Report

What do you think?

Legend

Written by Aleksandar

Video MakerContent AuthorYears Of Membership

Comments

Loading…

0
Dome Construction Course

Dome Construction Course

Aphid Control - Simple Organic Pesticide Recipe - Seed Saving - Geothermal Greenhouse April Update

Aphid Control – Simple Organic Pesticide Recipe – Seed Saving – Geothermal Greenhouse April Update