What will people eat on Mars and how will they
get their food?
The
storable food from Earth will only serve as
emergency rations, which means the astronauts will try
to eat as much fresh food that they produce
on Mars as possible. It is likely that algae
and insects will also be part of the diet on Mars.
Food production on Mars
When the astronauts land on Mars, there will
be storable food from Earth waiting for them to use. The storable food from
Earth will only serve as emergency rations, which means the astronauts will try
to eat as much fresh food that they produce on Mars as possible. It is likely
that algae and insects will also be part of the diet on Mars.
Food production will
occur indoor under artificial lighting. In total, there will be approximately
80 m2 available for plant growth in the original habitat. The first crew will
also be able to use the habitat of the second crew to grow food because the
hardware for the second crew lands only a few weeks after the first crew lands.
A thick layer of
Martian soil on top of the inflatable habitat will protect the plants (and the
astronauts) from radiation. CO2 for the plants is available from the Mars
atmosphere and water is available through recycling and the soil on Mars.
Nutrients for the plants could come from recycling human waste or could be
imported from Earth.
Any plant production
surplus will be stored as emergency rations for the second crew and for
emergencies. Non-edible parts of the plants will be recycled or stored until
more advanced recycling equipment is shipped from Earth.
Mars One will
investigate the volume requirements for food production in the simulation
outpost and the crews will be trained for many years to operate the greenhouse
equipment. The aim is for colony to be independent from the food they receive
from Earth. There will always be enough emergency rations in storage, locally
produced or from Earth, to survive until the next supply mission comes.
