UAE wants to colonize Mars and grow crops on its soil
The United Arab Emirates has big plans for its future space expeditions. First of all, it wants to join the countries that have sent space probes to Mars. However, it’s not willing to stop here, as UAE is even thinking about colonizing the arid planet, and plant crops on its surface.
UAE scientists want to bring strawberries and dates on Mars
The members of the UAE Space Agency found quite a lot of similarities between the surface of Mars and the deserts in their country. Therefore, they decided to develop a series of project which aimed to grow crops on the Red Planets. Among the plants they want to cultivate, they chose strawberries, date palms, tomatoes, and lettuce.
Growing crops is essential in the colonizing of a planet, so the Arabic scientists decided to find a series of plants which might be able to grow in harsh conditions. Therefore, they selected lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries, as other researchers had already proven they were suitable for growing on the arid surface. Then, they added date palms as well, since they hold a symbolic connection with this region.
The future of Mars colonizing missions depends on the possibility of growing crops on the planet
However, UAE scientists are not the only ones who are exploring possible plants which might grow on Mars. Last year, NASA collaborated with the Florida Tech Buzz Aldrin Space Institute to develop a ‘Martian garden’ in a place where they simulated the conditions on the planet and tested a series of crops.
Such findings are extremely important for the future of space explorations. If astronauts are going to colonize Mars or other planets, they need a stable food source. Sending them supplies from Earth might not be efficient, so scientists need to know what kinds of crops can grow in certain conditions.
The UAE Space Agency is only 3 years old, but it has already received over $5.4 billion in funding for its Mars exploration project. The scientists have already built a model of their future space probe, and it has been exhibited during the Dubai Airshow.
Image Source: Pixabay
Leave a Reply