4 ms·
Other than the perchlorate problem (which is a real problem, but they can be baked out with heat as I understand it) I don't think we know any reason why not.
by gpm 6y ago
Other than the perchlorate problem (which is a real problem, but they can be baked out with heat as I understand it) I don't think we know any reason why not.
You'd have to fertilize the soil of course, but fundamentally plants don't need that much to grow. A lot of hydroponics use a completely inert "gravel" like substance and just wash a nutrient solution through on occasion.
- eqvinox 6y agoDo you know if there's any knowledge on how much fertilization you'd need to bring in? Or: whether it actually makes sense to use Martian soil to grow things on? If it doesn't supply much, one might just stick to hydroponics...
- Ididntdothis 6y agoI can’t imagine Mars soil having any usable nutrients since there are no microbes or any other biological activity. You probably have to bring or produce all fertilization from scratch.
- serf 6y agoMars soil has a ton of required nutrients for vegetation. [0]. It might not all be in amounts easily scavenged, but they're mostly there. [0]: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/can-plants-grow-with-mars-soil https://www.nasa.gov/feature/can-plants-grow-with-mars-soil