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  • Production of highly nutritious vegetables for lunar exploration

    Paper number

    IAC-19,A1,7,17,x54836

    Author

    Prof.Dr. Isaac Reyes-Vera, Mexico, Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla

    Coauthor

    Ms. Luz Miranda Atilano Herrera, Mexico, Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla

    Year

    2019

    Abstract
    Long term lunar exploration   will be highly dependent of self-sustaining strategies for food providing. This is critical to reduce the costly payload from earth. Plant growth on lunar surface represents significant challenges both technical and biological.   
    The chosen vegetable species for human consumption in extraterrestrial expeditions should have such biological properties to meet the significant challenges that represent grow vegetables in extraterrestrial environment.
    Ancestral Mexican diet is plenty of vegetables of very short cycle with remarkable nutritional properties. Beside this  valuable properties, the  plantlets of   {\it Amarantus sp}.and many other  species form the genus {\it Chenopodium}  have other valuable  physiological characteristics    such as having a very efficient photosynthetic pathway that  will allow  to have good  yields under limiting  growth conditions (metabolism C4).
    Among the  highly valuable nutritious characteristics also this species are  high in vitamin C  content, reduces cholesterol  and  glucose content in plasma, high blood pressure and alleviate anemia.  The heat popped  seeds are consider a pseudo-cereal  because the similar nutritional value  comparable to cereals.
    The cultivation of  short cicle vegetables is of the major importance since lunar daylight length is only two weeks. The  required  time   from  sprouting to the  edible stage of the plantlet is about 25-35 days. Plantlets will need  complemetary artificial lighting to  complete the second half of the  growing  cycle.    
    It is a very well-known fact that ultraviolet radiation (UV) radiation is one of the most important limiting factors  when  living organism are exposed to extraterrestrial conditions.  The UV radiation in  lunar atmosphere will represent significant hurdle  for  vegetable production for human consumption. 
    This proyect  propose an  airtight polycarbonate greenhouse container which will have a top chamber saturated with ozone gas.  This sealed top chamber containing ozone will serve the purpose of provide protection for the plants against the damaging UV radiation. 
    This airtight chamber  will provide water as well as all minerals required  for the seedlings  nutritional needs. Also the  airthigh  chamber  could include  a higher proportion of CO2 to O2 content so photosynthesis will  be more efficient. This will cause higher yields of vegetable biomass.
    Abstract document

    IAC-19,A1,7,17,x54836.brief.pdf

    Manuscript document

    IAC-19,A1,7,17,x54836.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

    To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.