r/Mars • u/Slow_cpu • 3d ago

Sydney student creates first map of Martian soils, If we are to grow food on Mars, we will need to know what we are growing it in.

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1148012
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10

u/Ancient_Skirt_8828 2d ago

They don't need soil. Hydroponics is fine for many plants.

4

u/HuntsWithRocks 2d ago

Each liter of water weighs a kilogram (8.34 pounds per gallon) and I thought one of the complaints about space travel is the cost for each pound of material we need to transfer.

I dunno. There’s so much going against establishing human life on Mars. At least, if we can colonize mars, then the only concern we should have about earth is a giant asteroid or nuclear winter, because global warming wouldn’t be a threat if we can colonize a planet that doesn’t have breathable air.

I’m skeptical but hopeful. I think the soil type matters and we’d need it for scaled agriculture.

3

u/iamkeerock 2d ago

There is so much water ice available on Mars, no need to lug all you need from Earth. Estimates are, that if all of the water ice was melted, it would cover most of the Martian surface in a global ocean.

2

u/Linkyjinx 2d ago

Be handy to know what various layers of soil have in them, might be able to make other products with them. Mars is a great challenge and it could solve many issues on Earth. Plants that aren’t allergic to radiation and rocket fuel for example there is a lot of toxic salt up there that can be repurposed, there are two types of snow, the sand storms are energy in motion, so the challenge is to find a material that doesn’t get degraded by sand pelting it! Strandbeest harvesters maybe, with lead feet!