CAN THINGS GROW ON MARS?
By: Nick Klein
Plants and Animals on Mars
There are people that have strong beliefs that things can grow on Mars and that we can put plant and animal life on Mars. I think that it is possible but, you need to have an enclosed heated and self-sustaining habitat with fresh water.
A Self-Sustaining Habitat
Theoretically, you can grow plants in a self-sustaining enclosed habitat because it will condensate and rain inside. The plants and animals will then make air and complete the life cycle.
Plants
I think dessert plants would be the best plants for Mars because the small needles keep water in and do not let it escape. This is important because there is a limited supply of water on Mars. Also the weather on Mars is cold and dessert plants survive in cold and hot temperatures.
Soil on Mars
The soil on Mars is very rocky and sandy so dessert plants can live in it. For fruit and vegetables you would need fertile soil so you would need to bring a lot of compost from earth which would be difficult.
Water on Mars
There have been images from rovers that show there is water on Mars. The water is either frozen or super salty which prevents freezing. Satellite pictures show streaks in the sand like water running down a beach. Scientists have not been able to identify the source of the water on Mars but they continue to try to find the source since any life on Mars would be dependent on water.
Men on Mars
If you watched the new movie, The Martian, you might think that astronauts are on Mars and can live there for a long period of time, but really the only man made things on Mars have been rovers. We aren't even able to receive a rover back from Mars yet. There has never been a man or monkey on Mars.