5:15 PM - 6:45 PM
[AOS11-P06] Establishing Freshwater Aquaculture in Low-Gravity Environments: A Keystone for Sustaining Human Life on Mars
Keywords:Mars, artificial gravity, freshwater aquaculture , Closed-Loop Life Support Systems, low-gravity environment, core biome complex
Continuing to farm fish in space is a critical issue in establishing an extraterrestrial life support system. This approach could serve as a sustainable food supply for long-duration stays, integrating well with hydroponics and other plant cultivation methods to form a closed ecosystem that promotes resource reuse and recycling. Moreover, cultivating live fish may enhance psychological wellbeing by fostering a connection with nature, which could alleviate stress and loneliness in extraterrestrial confines. This study aims to discuss the importance and feasibility of constructing a freshwater aquaculture system, assuming a prolonged stay on Mars.
Addressing the low-gravity environment is paramount for sustaining long-term human habitation on an extraterrestrial planet like Mars. Low gravity poses numerous health challenges, including muscle atrophy, bone density loss, cardiovascular system maladaptation, and impacts on vision and the central nervous system. Therefore, facilities capable of generating artificial gravity to mimic Earth's gravity are essential for extended human life on Mars. Rotating the entire inverted cone-shaped habitat, which could house approximately 150 people and require a height of about 140 meters, emerges as a promising solution for creating artificial gravity. The gravity produced by rotation, a combination of Martian gravity and centrifugal force, varies with the distance from the central axis. Near the apex, where centrifugal force barely contributes, the environment would closely resemble Mars's 1/3G gravity. Research at 1/6G (lunar gravity) suggests that such conditions suffice to prevent muscle atrophy in mice, indicating the viability of low-gravity environments for aquaculture. While unsuitable for human living spaces, we propose implementing a freshwater aquaculture system within this low-gravity setting.
Freshwater should be favored over seawater for several reasons: it is vital for life support, crucial for the growth and survival of terrestrial plants, and freshwater aquaculture is more manageable in confined spaces. Freshwater is indispensable for direct human consumption, agriculture, sanitation, and industrial activities. It also supports terrestrial plant life, which contributes to the Earth's climate regulation through photosynthesis. Compared to carnivorous marine species, freshwater fish, primarily herbivorous and omnivorous, present lower feed costs and simpler maintenance, making them more suitable for closed environments. Therefore, leveraging aquaculture systems is paramount, especially within closed-loop life support systems (CLSS). However, maintaining water quality in freshwater aquaculture systems poses a significant challenge. To safely consume the harvested organisms, technological advancements are required for temperature control, dissolved oxygen and pH adjustment, and ammonia treatment within human habitats.
Establishing freshwater aquaculture systems is vital for maintaining closed environmental circulation, ensuring a stable food supply, and supporting mental health. The creation of such systems under artificial gravity is crucial for the viability of long-term human life on Mars, forming the essence of the "core biome complex." Exploring the possibility of oceans on other planetary bodies could revolutionize the development of extraterrestrial life support systems, expanding the frontiers of human habitation in space.
Addressing the low-gravity environment is paramount for sustaining long-term human habitation on an extraterrestrial planet like Mars. Low gravity poses numerous health challenges, including muscle atrophy, bone density loss, cardiovascular system maladaptation, and impacts on vision and the central nervous system. Therefore, facilities capable of generating artificial gravity to mimic Earth's gravity are essential for extended human life on Mars. Rotating the entire inverted cone-shaped habitat, which could house approximately 150 people and require a height of about 140 meters, emerges as a promising solution for creating artificial gravity. The gravity produced by rotation, a combination of Martian gravity and centrifugal force, varies with the distance from the central axis. Near the apex, where centrifugal force barely contributes, the environment would closely resemble Mars's 1/3G gravity. Research at 1/6G (lunar gravity) suggests that such conditions suffice to prevent muscle atrophy in mice, indicating the viability of low-gravity environments for aquaculture. While unsuitable for human living spaces, we propose implementing a freshwater aquaculture system within this low-gravity setting.
Freshwater should be favored over seawater for several reasons: it is vital for life support, crucial for the growth and survival of terrestrial plants, and freshwater aquaculture is more manageable in confined spaces. Freshwater is indispensable for direct human consumption, agriculture, sanitation, and industrial activities. It also supports terrestrial plant life, which contributes to the Earth's climate regulation through photosynthesis. Compared to carnivorous marine species, freshwater fish, primarily herbivorous and omnivorous, present lower feed costs and simpler maintenance, making them more suitable for closed environments. Therefore, leveraging aquaculture systems is paramount, especially within closed-loop life support systems (CLSS). However, maintaining water quality in freshwater aquaculture systems poses a significant challenge. To safely consume the harvested organisms, technological advancements are required for temperature control, dissolved oxygen and pH adjustment, and ammonia treatment within human habitats.
Establishing freshwater aquaculture systems is vital for maintaining closed environmental circulation, ensuring a stable food supply, and supporting mental health. The creation of such systems under artificial gravity is crucial for the viability of long-term human life on Mars, forming the essence of the "core biome complex." Exploring the possibility of oceans on other planetary bodies could revolutionize the development of extraterrestrial life support systems, expanding the frontiers of human habitation in space.