Gardening. A fundamental essential of modern human existence. And an essential of our future existence, especially if that existence involves hurtling around in spaceships, and dwelling on the surface of Mars like 'Tomorrows World' promised it would back in the 80s. Spacemen and women of the future are going to have to get their veggies from somewhere.
Scientists grappling with the difficulties of forging a life for us a million light years from home have come up with some interesting ideas.
For example, how about the 90's experiment of Biome 2, which locked a group of people inside a giant greenhouse for two years, trying to see how we'd fare on other planets in a closed-system environment?
With a tropical rainforest, it's own coral sea, desert and temperate areas it sounds like a lovely place to while away a few years. However, it was quickly overrun by ants and cockroaches, and the volunteers locked inside all fell out. You can read more about it's sad demise and possible regeneration here.
again with an eye to life on Mars, how about this modern view of how we'd grow food on the red planet?
or the 60s ideas of space station living?
The next one comes courtesy of Hollywood rather than NASA: the 70's film 'Silent Running'
The reality of space exploration is that we're still a long way from life in a lush and productive greenhouse on the moon. Here's a proud astronaut and his Mizuna aboard the international space station. Maybe the closest we've come so far to a garden in space? Not so impressive eh?
Or at least not as impressive as this... a bonsai pine in space:
Floated up there by artist Azuma Makoto, attached to a giant balloon.
Don't forget to look up from your compost once in a while and turn your eyes to the skies!
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