- #1
wilsonb
- 28
- 0
Can we growing food in outer space?
Growing Food in Outer Space: The Ultimate Challenge
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Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the feasibility of growing food in outer space, addressing both theoretical and practical challenges associated with cultivating crops in microgravity environments. Participants explore various methods, potential technologies, and alternative feeding strategies for future space habitation.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Technical explanation
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- Some participants propose that while food can be grown using hydroponics, astronauts must bring all necessary nutrients, and there are significant challenges to sourcing these nutrients from extraterrestrial environments.
- One participant suggests rephrasing the question to consider whether food will be grown in space in the future or if alternative feeding methods will be developed.
- Another participant questions the feasibility of alternative feeding methods, seeking clarification on what is meant by "another way" to feed bodies in space.
- Technical obstacles to growing food in microgravity are highlighted, including issues with water retention and nutrient absorption by plant roots, as well as challenges related to creating a self-sustaining biome.
- Concerns are raised about the resources required for crop cultivation, including space, light, and water, and the implications of crop failure in a space environment.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express differing views on the feasibility of growing food in space, with some emphasizing the technical challenges and others questioning the need for alternative feeding methods. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to food cultivation in outer space.
Contextual Notes
Limitations include uncertainties about the availability of necessary nutrients in extraterrestrial environments, the dependence on current technological capabilities, and unresolved questions about the viability of alternative feeding methods.
- #2
- 5,964
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Food can be grown http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics" by astronauts but they have to take all the necessary nutrients with them. If they wanted to grow food on other bodies (asteroids, planets etc) they would have to have a way of mining and refining the necessary nutrients from the environment for the hydro-/aeroponic farm. We do not yet have the technology to do this, in addition the relevant chemicals may not even be present.
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- #3
Ruslan_Sharipov
- 104
- 1
I think the question should be formulated a little bit differently. Will we grow food in outer space some day or when living in space we'll use another way for feeding our bodies?
- #4
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- 727
Ruslan_Sharipov said:
Another way aside from eating food?
PF has https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=414380" against overly speculative posts.
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- #5
Evo
Staff Emeritus
- 24,114
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You mean like people getting fed through a tube into their stomach, as if they were in a coma?Ruslan_Sharipov said:
Can you explain what you mean? Your post is too vague.
- #6
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wilsonb said:
There are a few serious technical obstacles to growing food without gravity. The main one that I know of is that water does not stay in contact with the roots; the flow of water in a porous medium without gravity to drive the flow is almost totally driven by surface tension and diffusion. This results in the roots drying out as the local water is absorbed. Plants that use nitrogen-fixing bacteria have the additional problem of gas bubbles forming around the root.
Then there is the matter of growing plants in a self-contained biome: the results of Biosphere 1 and 2 (potentially useful experiments) are telling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosphere_2
Also the amount of space and resources (light, heat, water, etc) required to grow and support sufficient crops is (currently) out of proportion to the benefit. Then there's the matter of pollination, use of pesticides/fungicides (it's hot and humid up there...), and what to do in case the crops fail.
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