Theres quite a bit of buzz these days about how humanity could become a multiplanetary species. This is understandable considering that space agencies and aerospace companies from around the world are planning on conducting missions to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the Moon, and Mars in the coming years, not to mention establishing a permanent human presence there and beyond.
To do this, humanity needs to develop the necessary strategies for sustainable living in hostile environments and enclosed spaces. To prepare humans for this kind of experience, groups like Habitat Marte (Mars Habitat) and others are dedicated to conducting simulated missions in analog environments. The lessons learned will not only prepare people to live and work in space but foster ideas for sustainable living here on Earth.
Habitat Marte was founded in 2017 by Julio Francisco Dantas de Rezende, the professor of sustainability in the Department of Product Engineering at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) and the Director of Innovation with the State Foundation to Research Support (FAPERN). He is also the Coordinator of Habitat Marte and Mars Society Brazil.
Prof. Rezende was inspired to bring the Mars Society to Brazil after attending their 2016 convention in Washington DC, where famed scientists and founder Robert Zubrin spoke of their mission. These include conducting simulated missions at their analog environments located in Utah (the Desert Mars Research Station) and Nunavut, Canada (the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station).
Inspired by this work, Prof. Rezende returned to Brazil and dedicated his own resources to launch similar initiatives. The result was the Mars Society Brazil and the creation of its Habitat Marte training environment. As a location, they chose the semi-arid region of Caiara do Rio do Vento about 100 km (62 mi) west of Natal a rugged region that receives rainfall only a few times a year, making it a good approximation to Mars.
At present, this training environment remains the only Mars analog station operating in the southern hemisphere and, like its counterparts in other countries, is dedicated to developing the skills and technologies necessary to live sustainably on Mars and other planets. As Prof Julio Rezende explained to Universe Today via email:
[W]e are interested in designing systems that collaborate to have a self-sustainable/circular system in which the energy itself is generated, the waste generated is recycled and the food itself is produced. At Habitat Marte we are committed to the development of social technologies such as greenhouses, solar oven, cisterns, aquaponics, water filters, and greenhouses. Our challenge is to develop technologies that are applied both to space and in arid and semi-arid regions, or other regions threatened by water scarcity and droughts.
Between December of 2017 and 2020, Habitat Marte has conducted 42 missions with more than 150 participants, totaling almost 1300 hours (98 days) of mission time. As Prof. Rezende indicated, these activities have generated large volumes of data that has resulted in a variety of scientific studies and publications. For each mission, applicants spend time in the simulated habitat and conducting the following activities:
In terms of food, the crews grow all the fruits and vegetables they will need, which has included eggplant, lettuce, bananas, tomatoes, peppers, and sweet potatoes in the past apologies to Mark Watney for the lack of redskins, russets, purple, and other potatoes! For the sake of protein, the crews also farmed tilapia fish, and grew basil and cilantro for flavor and added nutrition.
Theyve even cultivated trees for the sake of reforestation at home (and possibly terraforming on Mars!) When not working inside, the teams would conduct extra-vehicular activity (EVA) walks outdoors while wearing spacesuits. In one instance, a team conducted an EVA to Pico do Cabugi (Cabugi Peak), an extinct volcano located about 40 km (25 mi) from the training grounds that stands 590 meters (1935 ft) in height (shown below).
While there, the team took rock samples which they will examine with the help of the geology labs in UFRN. Prof. Rezende and his colleagues also hope to use finely ground rock samples to develop a Mars soil simulant, which they will use to test the viability of growing Earth crops in Martian soil. For this research, they will be collaborating with Prof. Wieger Wamelink of the Wageningen University & Research Center in the Netherlands.
For loyal readers of Universe Today (or fans of MarsOne), Dr. Wamelink ought to be a familiar name. A few years ago, Dr. Wamelink and colleagues from Wageningen University conducted a series of agricultural studies in conjunction with MarsOne. This involved growing different types of crops in Lunar and Martian soil simulants to see which would germinate, grow, and be safe for consumption.
Between 2013 and 2015, they confirmed that a total of ten crops (including rye, radishes, garden cress, peas, green beans, tomatoes and potatoes) could all grow in Martian soil. They further found that seeds produced from these crops were able to germinate as well, thus ensuring successive harvests, and that the plants did not retain harmful levels of heavy metals (which are common in lunar and Martian soil).
Due to the coronavirus epidemic, these missions have been temporarily suspended but will resume soon. The last mission took place on March 14th, 2020, In the meantime, Prof. Rezende and his colleagues have carried on with virtual simulations, which is what the last 6 missions have been. As he described them:
In virtual missions, participants are invited to participate in remote activities related to the Habitat Marte protocols and research themes that associate space and sustainability, observing how Habitat Marte can contribute to solutions related to isolation during the coronavirus period. We realized that the actions of Habitat Marte may present guidelines for this challenging moment.
This is a common theme among researchers, scientists, and advocates that are dedicated to finding solutions to the problem of living in space. For example, Vera Mulyani (Vera Mars) recently stated how this years Mars City Design competition which is focused on Urban Farming has drawn inspiration from the pandemic and the need for social isolation.
In this time of crisis, envisioning how to live abundantly on another planet seems to be a far-off predicament, she said. However, this critical time can also offer a new perspective, a change that in the long term, is necessary for the sake of our existence and evolution as human beings. This initiative can also lead to technological discoveries and innovations. Pursuing a vision of tomorrow may save today before it is too late!
Another common element is the way research into living sustainability on other planets can have positive consequences here on Earth. In the past, efforts to send astronauts to space and the Moon (the Apollo Program) resulted in countless applications here on Earth, ranging from respirators, heart monitors, and microwave ovens to GPS, satellite communications, microchips, and solar panels.
It is therefore easy to see how Project Artemis, missions to Mars, and other plans to go interplanetary will help address problems here at home. With the global population expected to reach 10 billion by mid-century, and the way climate change will disrupt the natural systems we depend upon to live, knowing how to do more with less resources (and produce less waste) is vital to our survival.
Prof. Rezende himself expressed how this connection between Earth and exploring/living off-world is at the heart of Habitat Martes mission:
We are interested in creating a new generation of people interested in science and technology, seeing knowledge as a tool to collaborate for sustainable development. We believe that the experience at Habitat Mars is motivating for its participants to empower themselves and expand their vision, based on a spatial experience, which can change the world, collaborating for a more prosperous world.
[We are] also committed to presenting solutions for semiarid regions in Brazil. Mainly based in social technologies. Some also possibly adapted to space habitats. We have two pillars: space and arid/ semiarid regions. Because I consider that areas affected by climate change will become more. Our initiatives are connected with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
These goals were set by the UN in 2015 to act as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In addition to the elimination of all forms of inequality, the SDGs call for the elimination of poverty and hunger, as well as action on climate change, the provision of clean water and sanitation, and the development of sustainable cities and communities by 2030.
Key to accomplishing these goals is the development of technologies and methods that allow human beings to use local resources more wisely and sustainability and minimize their impact on the local environment. In this respect, the work being conducted by Habitat Marte, The Mars Society, HI-SEAS, and groups like Mars City Design and Stellar Amenities will have implications that go far beyond space!
To learn more about Habitat Marte, check out their website and their page at the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). You can also find testimonials recorded by people who have participated in their missions here.
Further Reading: Habitat Marte
Like Loading...
View post:
Learning to Live Sustainably on the Red Planet: Habitat Mars - Universe Today
- NASA, China and the UAE are scheduled to send missions to Mars in July | TheHill - The Hill [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- A Look Into The Wild Economy Of Tabletop Board Game Funding - NPR [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Adventure Time: Distant Lands Premiere BMO the Hero - Show Snob [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Terraforming Mars on the App Store [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- China successfully launches its first space mission that will attempt to land on Mars - Explica [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Perseverance Rover Launches on July 30, Here's How to Watch - autoevolution [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- The Expanse Season 5: Cast, Plot, Release And Everything You Want To Know! - World Top Trend [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 28th, 2020]
- Alien Life Dwelling Beneath the Surface of Mars? New Theory Emerges - Webby Feed [Last Updated On: July 29th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 29th, 2020]
- Bottom Line: Quarterstaff Games Stays Alive for the Next Level of the Pandemic - Seven Days [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2020]
- Mars: Oodles of facts, figures and fun questions about the Red Planet - BBC Focus Magazine [Last Updated On: August 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 2nd, 2020]
- Pandemic Legacy, the Board-Game Series for the Age of the Coronavirus - The New Yorker [Last Updated On: August 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 2nd, 2020]
- Conquer the solar system in the upcoming game Solar Expanse . Drop asteroids, terraform, and plan rocket flights to eventually explore the entire... [Last Updated On: August 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 4th, 2020]
- NASAs Curiosity Rover Reaches an Impressive Milestone During its Mars Mission - Webby Feed [Last Updated On: August 8th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 8th, 2020]
- Terraforming of Mars - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: August 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 9th, 2020]
- Mars covered in oceans: what terraformation on the Red Planet might look like - ZME Science [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- Cool! Heres how Venus would look as a water world - EarthSky [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2020]
- Longtime Literature Professor, Noted Poet Begins Next Chapter with Retirement - University of Texas at Dallas [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2020]
- Don't ignore Venus Earth's twin hides surprising opportunities (op-ed) - Space.com [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2020]
- Destination Red Planet: For space buffs, this summer has brought multiple Mars bound space launches - The Times of India Blog [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2020]
- We asked Kim Stanley Robinson: Can science fiction save us? - TheWestNews [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2020]
- We are proud and excited to announce that Terraformers is now part of the Goblinz line up! - Gamasutra [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2020]
- The Expanse Season 4 Recap: Ilus, the Ring Gates and the Cliffhanger Ending - Den of Geek [Last Updated On: December 5th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 5th, 2020]
- Kim Stanley Robinson: The Science Fiction of Right Now - Highsnobiety [Last Updated On: December 5th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 5th, 2020]
- 9 of the best board games to play for fans of science and tech - New Scientist [Last Updated On: December 5th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 5th, 2020]
- All of the best Mac and iOS Christmas app deals - 9to5Toys [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2020]
- Elon Musk Terraforming Mars: He Says We Need 'Glass Domes ... [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2021] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2021]
- Space-themed board game Terraforming Mars and its ... [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2021] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2021]
- Why Earth is habitable but Venus looks like hell - Big Think [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2021] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2021]
- Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition Review - Just Push Start [Last Updated On: January 11th, 2022] [Originally Added On: January 11th, 2022]
- Was Voltaire the First Sci-Fi Author? - WIRED [Last Updated On: January 11th, 2022] [Originally Added On: January 11th, 2022]
- Terraforming - Stellaris Wiki [Last Updated On: April 28th, 2022] [Originally Added On: April 28th, 2022]
- Terraforming Mars (board game) - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: April 28th, 2022] [Originally Added On: April 28th, 2022]
- That "Research" About How Smartphones Are Causing Deformed Human Bodies Is SEO Spam, You Idiots [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Chinese Spaceplane Releases Mystery Object Into Orbit [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- AOC Says Her Twitter Account Broke After She Made Fun of Elon Musk [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Huge Drone Swarm to Form Giant Advertisement Over NYC Skyline [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Hackers Just Took Down One of the World's Most Advanced Telescopes [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Jeff Bezos' Housekeeper Says She Had to Climb Out the Window to Use the Bathroom [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- China Plans to Send Monkeys to Space Station to Have Sex With Each Other [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- US Gov to Crack Down on "Bossware" That Spies On Employees' Computers [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Cats May Be Tampering With Crime Scenes, Scientists Say [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Elon Musk Meeting With Advertisers, Begging Them Not to Leave Twitter [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Scientists Found a Way to Control How High Mice Got on Cocaine [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Scientists Spot "Stripped, Pulsating Core" of Star Caused By Horrific Accident [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Scientists Use Actual Lunar Soil Sample to Create Rocket Fuel [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- NASA Sets Launch Date for Mission to $10 Quintillion Asteroid [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- This Deepfake AI Singing Dolly Parton's "Jolene" Is Worryingly Good [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Twitter Working on Plan to Charge Users to Watch Videos [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Greta Thunberg Says UN Climate Conference Is a Scam and She's Not Attending [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- There's Something Strange About How These Stars Are Moving, Scientists Say [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Manslaughter Case Has a Strange Twist: Tesla That Killed Couple Was on Autopilot [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Tesla Reportedly Canceling Solar Roof Installations Across the Country [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- A Tesla Executive Under Investigation Is Now Working at SpaceX for Some Reason [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Elon Musk Might Get Thrashed by Lawsuit From Heavy Metal Drummer [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Unexploded Shell Removed From Soldier's Chest by Surgeons Wearing Body Armor [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Chinese Space Debris Crashes Down in the Philippines [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Divers Discover Fragment of Challenger Space Shuttle Under Ocean [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- NASA Disputes Calling Its Inflatable Heat Shield a "Bouncy Castle" [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Scientists Reproduce Fascinating, Powerful Material Found in Meteorite [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Elon Musk Says That Under His Brilliant New Management, Twitter May Go Out of Business [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Divers Growing Veggies in Underwater Greenhouses [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Tesla Issues Software Patch So That Its Cars Don't Lose Power Steering on Potholes [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- NASA Releases Hubble Images of Star Right as It Explodes [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Furious Fire Ants "Rain Down" on Hawaiian Residents and Bite Them in their Sleep [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- NASA Inspecting Moon Rocket for Damage From Hurricane Nicole [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- NASA Fixes Months-Long Issue With James Webb Telescope [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Amazing Video Shows What the ISS Would Look Like If It Flew at the Height of a Jetplane [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2022]
- Amazing Map Lets You Scroll Through the Entire Known Universe [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- So Many People Are Using a Diabetes Drug for Weight Loss That Actual Diabetics Are Having Trouble Getting It [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- Behind the Lawsuit Against Celebs Who Shilled FTX Before Its Spectacular Meltdown [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- Twitter Claims Video of Moon Rocket Launch Is Revenge Porn [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- Elon Musk Locks Twitter Employees Out Office, Then Asks Them to Meet Him on the 10th Floor [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- Experts Excoriate NASA Report Claiming James Webb Wasn't Homophobic [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- Ticketmaster May Have Finally Met Its Match: Furious Swifties [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- NASA Tells Astronauts That Tweeting Isn't As Important as Staying Alive [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- NASA Orders Press Not to Photograph Launch Site After Moon Mission Takes Off [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- Experts Baffled by Why NASA’s “Red Crew” Wear Blue Shirts [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- Panicked Elon Musk Reportedly Begging Engineers Not to Leave [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- NASA Drops Stunning New James Webb Image of a Star Being Born [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- Celebrities' Bored Apes Are Hilariously Worthless Now [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]