Page 2 of 4 |
[ 58 posts ] |
Space Farms
Author | Message |
---|---|
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue May 15, 2012 4:32 am
Posts: 219 Location: Melbourne, Australia ![]() |
Feeding the excess plant biomass to insects would be a cheap way to get some protein. They are more efficient at turning cellulose to proteins and fats than mammals or birds, and can be much more easily bred and contained in small containers.
I wonder if feeding a mixture of algae, yeast, and bacteria diet to insects could work as well. Then we could combine high efficiency of single cellular organisms of converting raw materials and energy into biomass, and then turning that into more fun stuff to eat. I mean compare homogenous sludge to crunchy crickets with hot spicy flavoring. ![]() Check this out: http://edibug.wordpress.com/list-of-edible-insects/ _________________ "SCREW THE RULES, WE HAVE MONEY!" http://www.freespaceships.com |
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Space Station Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:40 am
Posts: 476 Location: California and Michigan ![]() |
Algae can yield complete proteins http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_seaweed
with the correct strain, and a little know how, you could make it taste like fruit ![]() _________________ Let not the bindings of society hold you back from improving it.... the masses follow where the bold explore. |
Back to top |
![]() |
Space Station Commander ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon May 31, 2004 9:47 pm
Posts: 827 Location: Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) - capital of Israel! ![]() |
I read about a couple of Israelis who got lost in a forest in India. They survived for two weeks by eating ants. Yum!
_________________ “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” -Anonymous |
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Moon Mission Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 11:15 pm
Posts: 1050 Location: Columbus, GA USA ![]() |
SuperShuki wrote: But this is one of the reasons bacteria should be planted on Mars (actually, the main reason). Once you have something living populating the planet, no matter how small, it becomes possible to develop something to eat - by going up the food chain (obviously, as you go up the food chain, you would have to move that food chain inside, but as long as the bottom of the food chain is reproducing itself, the whole chain is supported). Something that can survive on Mars won't be any more edible by you than anti-freeze. Literally. ![]() |
Back to top |
![]() |
Space Station Commander ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon May 31, 2004 9:47 pm
Posts: 827 Location: Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) - capital of Israel! ![]() |
JamesG wrote: SuperShuki wrote: But this is one of the reasons bacteria should be planted on Mars (actually, the main reason). Once you have something living populating the planet, no matter how small, it becomes possible to develop something to eat - by going up the food chain (obviously, as you go up the food chain, you would have to move that food chain inside, but as long as the bottom of the food chain is reproducing itself, the whole chain is supported). Something that can survive on Mars won't be any more edible by you than anti-freeze. Literally. ![]() Did you hear about the duodentsin? It's a bird that can eat anti freeze. If you haven't heard of it, it's probably because I made it up now. Anyway, I wasn't proposing humans eat the bacteria - perhaps insects could, or some other type of life form (Vulcan? Klingon? Q? Diplodocus?). That's why you need to go up the food chain. Otherwise, we could survive by licking out fingers. There are certainly enough bacteria there - at least on my fingers, at least. _________________ “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” -Anonymous |
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Spaceflight Participant ![]() ![]()
Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2013 6:31 pm
Posts: 55 Location: Minnesota ![]() |
Phase 1: Engineer a microbe that can thrive and replicate on Mars.
Phase 2: Engineer a microbe that can thrive and replicate on Mars AND eats the first microbe and poops something useful to humans (food, water, booze, whatever). Phase 3...infinity: Will be worked out later. _________________ The most promising new channel on YouTube: FargoFX (in my totally dispassionate and thoroughly objective opinion.) |
Back to top |
![]() |
Space Station Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:40 am
Posts: 476 Location: California and Michigan ![]() |
Step 4 it evolves into a super virus and conquers earth
![]() _________________ Let not the bindings of society hold you back from improving it.... the masses follow where the bold explore. |
Back to top |
![]() |
Space Station Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:16 pm
Posts: 341 ![]() |
Step 1: Engineer a microbe to live on Mars.
Step 2: ???? Step 3: Profit! |
Back to top |
![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue May 15, 2012 4:32 am
Posts: 219 Location: Melbourne, Australia ![]() |
Terraformer wrote: Step 1: Engineer a microbe to live on Mars. Step 2: ???? Step 3: Profit! South Park has an answer to everything. ![]() _________________ "SCREW THE RULES, WE HAVE MONEY!" http://www.freespaceships.com |
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:19 pm
Posts: 189 Location: Outside Wonko the Sane's house. ![]() |
I'd go with a flat disk, to maximize the surface area exposed to the sun. It could be spun to simulate gravity, and plants set in concentric tiers. (This would keep the soil, or hydroponic media from just floating off.) A central airlock at either end of the axis would be the best place for docking ports, since it's microgravity, and the docking ship can spin to cancel the motion. You'd have to be able to get the raw materials in, and the products back out, after all.
It would be easier, and less expensive to irrigate Death Valley than to build, and maintain such a habitat in orbit with shuttles from the surface. It might be a good idea once we get a sizable population in orbit with the logistical system in place to maintain, and need such orbital agriculture, but we'd have to build that first. Keep in mind, there's Nothing in orbit except sunlight, and trace ion wizzing by. Everything else would have to be imported... _________________ "You can't have everything, where would you put it?" -Steven Wright. |
Back to top |
![]() |
Launch Director ![]() ![]()
Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 3:54 pm
Posts: 10 ![]() |
FutureNow wrote: Phase 1: Engineer a microbe that can thrive and replicate on Mars. Phase 2: Engineer a microbe that can thrive and replicate on Mars AND eats the first microbe and poops something useful to humans (food, water, booze, whatever). Phase 3...infinity: Will be worked out later. It would be best if there is a circle with in bigger circles, for instance you start with three types of bacteria, that do not eat each other but only the waste products of the other two, that would allow them to populate the planet and evolve to live on the planet without human care, then you introduce other lifeforms that eat the bacteria, most likely four or more, because they might die out, and then you only add more once you prove the planet's lifeforms are thriving. and soon after you will see new ones that have adapted to the mars living conditions. |
Back to top |
![]() |
Launch Director ![]() ![]()
Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 3:54 pm
Posts: 10 ![]() |
Psiberzerker wrote: I'd go with a flat disk, to maximize the surface area exposed to the sun. It could be spun to simulate gravity, and plants set in concentric tiers. (This would keep the soil, or hydroponic media from just floating off.) A central airlock at either end of the axis would be the best place for docking ports, since it's microgravity, and the docking ship can spin to cancel the motion. You'd have to be able to get the raw materials in, and the products back out, after all. It would be easier, and less expensive to irrigate Death Valley than to build, and maintain such a habitat in orbit with shuttles from the surface. It might be a good idea once we get a sizable population in orbit with the logistical system in place to maintain, and need such orbital agriculture, but we'd have to build that first. Keep in mind, there's Nothing in orbit except sunlight, and trace ion wizzing by. Everything else would have to be imported... I agree with you, but before we colonise any planet we will colonise our own orbits around the earth. and that will help with mining the dead masses around the earth. |
Back to top |
![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:19 pm
Posts: 189 Location: Outside Wonko the Sane's house. ![]() |
Darcova wrote: I agree with you, but before we colonise any planet we will colonise our own orbits around the earth. and that will help with mining the dead masses around the earth. _________________ "You can't have everything, where would you put it?" -Steven Wright. |
Back to top |
![]() |
Space Station Commander ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon May 31, 2004 9:47 pm
Posts: 827 Location: Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) - capital of Israel! ![]() |
Psiberzerker wrote: Darcova wrote: I agree with you, but before we colonise any planet we will colonise our own orbits around the earth. and that will help with mining the dead masses around the earth. Oh, don't be so pessimistic. Pollution now is nothing like it was 200 years ago, when the only real source of energy was coal. We are far more advanced environmentally than ever before. _________________ “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” -Anonymous |
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:19 pm
Posts: 189 Location: Outside Wonko the Sane's house. ![]() |
SuperShuki wrote: Oh, don't be so pessimistic. Pollution now is nothing like it was 200 years ago, when the only real source of energy was coal. We are far more advanced environmentally than ever before. I'm not a pessimist just because I believe it would be easier to terraform the only planet we've walked on than the one that doesn't have enough gravity to support an atmosphere we can breathe. There's a difference between optimism, and wishful thinking. No, I'm not a pessimist, I just have seen the numbers, dispationately, and they don't look good. _________________ "You can't have everything, where would you put it?" -Steven Wright. |
Back to top |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Page 2 of 4 |
[ 58 posts ] |
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 49 guests |