Last year theEDEN - ISSgreenhouse container shipped off to the Ekström water ice ledge in the Antarctic . Now , scientists say they have successfully produce and harvested their first craw of vegetables , without grunge or sun , and in the future , it could help astronauts grow solid food on other planets .
At the Neumeyer - Station III , researchers say they have harvested 3.6 kg ( 8 pounds ) of salad putting surface , 18 cucumbers , and 70 radishes . It ’s a welcome treat for research worker who often go months without tonic produce .
" It was special to have the first fresh salad of the Antarctic , " said station managing director Bernhard Gropp in astatement . " It tasted as if we had harvested it bracing in the garden . "
Minor organization failures and the strongest storm of the year raise challenging , but project track Daniel Schubert says their harvest " shows that the Antarctic is an ideal examination field for inquiry . "
These veggies were all mature without globe , daylight , or pesticides in a fully ego - sufficient greenhouse container . With conditions outside fell below -20 ° one C ( -4 ° F ) , the projection aims to crop produce in rough climates . cosmonaut successfullygrew greenson the International Space System , and the German Aerospace Center DLR , who coordinates the project , order the south-polar projection aims to grow a more diverse variety of food for next manned missions to the Moon and Mars .
Located at the Neumeyer - Station III , the glasshouse defy the Arctic wintertime with its commonwealth - of - the - arttechnology ; organ pipe supply sufficient water , lamp provide the right light , and filters and nozzles provide the right salmagundi of air to promote ontogenesis . Large weewee tanks installed in the floor are fill with mellow , filter out , and sanctify ice from the station . Water is then contribute to a “ limited alimentary solution ” that is automatically spray on the plants every five to 10 mo , a process calledaeroponics . Bottles of carbon copy dioxide were transport along with the container to provide the plant with idealistic air . The air is then filtered by a ultraviolet illumination radiation therapy organisation alike to the shut - circuit system onboard the ISS .
In a ground ofextreme light cycles , the bunch needed to ensure plants arrive a “ grim and ruby luminosity cocktail ” . A customized water - cool down LED system of rules leave for each light to be individually check by a computer . plant life are illuminated for 16 hours and get a standard eight hours of mantrap rest without light .
research worker say the experiment could havereal applicationsfor ground - indweller as well . With rising populations in the fount of clime change , demands for innovative ways to raise crops could avail provide a solvent for one of the “ central societal challenges of the 21st century ” .
The outcome look promising . By May , scientist say they are expecting a full operation of the container greenhouse with a harvest of 4 - 5 kilogram of fruits and veggie each workweek .
