To survive far away from Earth, astronauts need to have green fingers. But the science of growing plants in extraterrestrial environments has a way to go, as Jon Cartwright reports
It is known as the Habitat: a white geodesic dome, perched on the northern flank of a red mountain. Inside, there is sleeping room for a crew of six, plus a small kitchen, laboratory, bathroom and an airlock. Outside, apart from a solar array, is very little except reddish dust and rocks. Virtually no flora or fauna. No sign of civilization.
This isn’t Mars, though it’s a fair simulation, even if it’s not quite Matt Damon in the Hollywood movie The Martian (above). This is the Hawaii Space Explo- ration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) – a small research site on the desolate Mauna Loa volcano on the island of Hawaii, one and a half hours’ drive from the nearest town. Designed for investigations into how crew members can live in close quarters for long periods of time, HI-SEAS is not a terrestrial version of a Mars base in all respects – the inside is more like an apartment, and the water, though strictly rationed, is not recycled. But in terms of day-to-day life, says Lucie Poulet, a former crew member, “we’re close to being the first Martians”. […]
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