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What Teens Say...
Name: Cameron Mulvaney
Essay Theme: Cultivating New Technologies |
State: Alabama
School: New Life Christian Academy |
Producing Food in Space |
Crops in space? Absolutely! Especially if people are to travel
months, even years, to other worlds and solar systems. It would
be nearly impossible to send along enough food and water with
a team of space explorers on a long-term mission. The reality
is food biomass and water production for hydroponics are essential
for extended space exploration. Furthermore, space may provide
an effective, efficient environment to produce rare or genetically
modified proteins needed by humans. Challenges in space are
(1) lack of gravity required for development of roots, (2) controlled
growing climate, (3) consistent sunlight, (4) essential nutrients
including purified water supply, and (5) appropriate insects
for cross-pollination. Well, biogenerative support systems consider
all these challenges. A new science for space agriculture, called
Astroculture, has been born to research conditions needed to
create biogenerative life support in space.
Humans and plants are ideal companions in space and on Earth.
People breathe air and generate carbon dioxide, which plants
collect and convert to oxygen. Humans consume plants or parts
for sustenance, but this results in waste by-products, which
in turn can be used to provide nutrient support for plant growth.
Considering how to capitalize on these extraordinary relationships
between plants and humans, one must consider problems of sources
of energy, reproduction of clean water, plus the effects of
low gravity in space to optimize plant growth. Light energy
must be provided but must be filtered from harmful wavelengths.
Exciting possibilities for gaining insight for increasing the
yield and quality of food production on Earth and establishment
of self-sustaining life-support systems for people in space
exist today.
Since early space exploration, astronauts experimented with
growing plants. Today, industries and scientists are allowed
to explore and study plant growth and long-term plant production
on the International Space Station. They seek systems with high
energy conversion efficiency. Establishment of the Space Station
enabled agriculture in space to enter a new era. Although there
were technical difficulties, wheat crops have been grown and
harvested in space. A Bulgarian built greenhouse enables the
right conditions for plant growth, and other crops have had
success. A new age of food production in space was launched,
and scientists saw how space technology may assist many of the
Earth's environmental problems. Interestingly, NASA scientists
found micro gravity of space presents a very efficient environment
for use of bacteria to enable transfer of targeted genes that
affect plant immunity to diseases and pests.
To close, Eric McLamb states, "Simply put, if we can sustain
food production in space, then we can sustain human life anywhere
in the universe. Plants, like all living things, depend on nourishment
and the right living conditions in order to grow. And with a
burgeoning population on Earth, Astroculture benefits will help
us better provide food, sustenance, and required healthy ecosystems
essential to promoting public health." Astroculture connects
people directly with components necessary to the web of life.
While challenges are great, opportunities are greater, and U.S.
Department of Agriculture scientists and agriculture have an
exciting future III space.
References:
| <http://www.ecology.com/ecology-today/astroculture/> |
| <http://spaceresearch.nasa.gov/research_projects/ros/advasc.html> |
| <http://spaceresearch.nasa.gov/research_projects/ros/advascop.html> |
| <http://spaceresearch.nasa.gov/research_projects/ros/advascresults.html> |
| <http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/Shuttle/USML2/science/asc.html> |
| <http://www.usu.edu/cpl/newsrels.html> |
| <http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/activities/farrninspace.asp> |
| <http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/activities/webquest/questmain.html> |
This essay was part of a 2003 essay contest sponsored by
Council for Agricultural Science & Technology.
Click here to see how essays were
selected.
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