A scene from the movie "The Martian", where the protagonist Mark Watney equips a greenhouse for growing potatoes

The Martian / Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 2015

Preliminary results from an experiment to grow potatoes under conditions mimicking those of Mars have been positive, according to the International Potato Center (CIP) in Peru in a press release posted on the organization's website. Video footage captured by a camera inside a sealed container shows that the tubers were able to germinate even in fairly dry soil and at low atmospheric pressure.

For several years now, researchers have been conducting experiments on growing crops in conditions as close as possible to those of Mars. With their help, scientists hope to determine whether plants can survive on another planet, as well as how suitable they will be for human consumption. Thus, studies show that some crops are indeed able to exist at low atmospheric pressure and humidity, but the number of such experiments is still too small to unequivocally judge the viability of plants.

A new experiment by the International Potato Center (CIP) and NASA Aerospace Agency kicked off on February 14, 2016. Researchers from the Peruvian University of Engineering and Technology have created a special platform based on the CubeSat satellite, where a camera with soil from the Pampa de la Hoya desert, one of the driest places on Earth, was placed. Inside the sealed facility, agronomists reproduced the Martian temperature, atmospheric pressure, and the corresponding levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air. The soil was fertilized with water in which nutrients were dissolved (the researchers did not report anything about the chemical composition of the soil and fertilizers, however, it is worth noting that the real Martian soil contains a large amount of perchlorate salts (perchlorates).


Plant health was monitored using a camera mounted on a modified CubeSat that monitored the soil around the clock. It turned out that potatoes can germinate in even arid soil (the video shows plants planted already in 2017). In addition, according to Walter Amoros, one of the project participants, the agronomists managed to obtain the tubers, but nothing was reported about their quality and suitability for food. The researchers also do not say what kind of potato was used for this experiment.

Experts concluded that future colonists will probably still be able to grow potatoes on Mars, but for this they will have to first saturate the soil with nutrients and loosen it so that the tubers get enough air and water. In the future, agronomists plan to continue their research and determine a sufficient minimum for growing potatoes.

This is the second such experiment by the International Potato Center. As scientists reported last year, there are 100 types of potatoes for him, which have previously been tested for survival in "Martian" conditions. Among the selected candidates, 40 species grow in the Andes in rocky and arid conditions and withstand extreme weather changes, and the remaining 60 are genetically modified varieties adapted to survive in soils with low water and salt content.

In 2015, scientists from Holland also conducted an experiment on growing crops. They are ten types of plants in the soil, as much as possible similar to the Martian and lunar soil. Despite the fact that the researchers managed to get the harvest, it is worth noting that all samples were kept in greenhouse conditions at constant temperature, humidity and light.

Christina Ulasovich

The latest sci-fi movie from film director Ridley Scott showed a future astronaut as he steps onto the unapproachable surface of Mars for the first time. The motion picture was shot in 3D format in the style of the Marvel company. The viewer can see there new, previously unknown examples of computer graphics, with the help of which the director recreates interesting space phenomena, for example, a Martian thunderstorm.

The entire film crew and video makers work directly with NASA's top scientists to create the most accurate picture possible. We interviewed leading NASA scientist, Dog Meing, about what he thinks about this unusual kind of collaboration.

"Overall, I think this is going to be something very, very interesting. We are working hard to recreate everything exactly as it really is."

Film: The desert landscape of Mars looks very compelling: redstone cliffs, vast expanses of rocky sand, created from a mixture of digital effects and footage in Jordan. Does this match what it really is?

Science: "In fact, all mock-ups of the planet's surface were created on the basis of real photographs of Mars. We have several spacecraft, and they helped us with the images. Mars is a planet whose development and change is taking place at a fairly rapid pace. considering that it is home to one of the largest volcanoes in the solar system.Although there is one valley besides the volcano, and if it is transferred to the United States, it will stretch from the East to the West Coast. The video makers have done a very good job indeed. creating such a detailed picture. "

Film: In the film, astronaut Mark Watney (Daimon) plants and grows potatoes on Mars using Martian soil and an impromptu irrigation system.

Science: "I already had some predictions about what might have been done if I had come to work at NASA 30 years later," said Meing, Ph.D. and soil science at the University of Texas. "I'm sure you could take some soil, like the protagonist did in the movie, and put potatoes in there, adding water. It could start growing if there was nitrogen somewhere."

Film: To grow his potatoes, Watney fed the plant with solid human waste (feces) from both his own and other astronauts. Thus, he was able to provide all the necessary nutrients for the plant, including nitrogen.

Science: "If I were on Mars, I would do the same," Meing said. "We don't do this on Earth, because there is no need for it. However, this fact is absolutely real. In addition to feces, urine can also be used. It also contains a lot of nitrogen."

Film: In fact, Mars is a very dry planet. To provide watering for his potatoes, the protagonist created an impromptu watering system where he burned oxygen from the life support system in his habitat from the remaining spacecraft, where there was hydrogen. Certainly the first attempt to do something like this ended in failure.

Science: "Yes, you know, this moment seemed particularly interesting to us. There is no doubt that hydrogen burns. And if you have a source of oxygen, you can potentially produce water. In theory, it really works, but do it under those conditions in which the main character ended up is very, very difficult, "said Meing.

Movie: Martian dust storms are accompanied by lightning and tornadoes that appear suddenly. Is it really true?

Science: "Yes, the main character is in one of these areas. Dust storms very often occur there. They can be said to have engulfed the entire planet. But this phenomenon is happening quite quickly. If we were in reality there, then our devices could would have foreseen it, and we managed to escape. "

Film: In the frame, our eye often comes across a six-wheeled vehicle that looks terribly familiar. Why in the movies all spacecraft and Martian rovers have six wheels?

Science: "The suspension of such ships can move up and down without problems," says Meing. "If a situation occurs when one of the wheels suddenly ends up not on the ground, then this will not interfere with the work of the other five. Absolutely all spacecraft on Mars have exactly 6 wheels. For future manned missions, this thing is very important."


To understand if the Martian pioneers could grow food on the Red Planet, scientists tried to grow potatoes on Earth in conditions similar to those of Mars. The first results of such an experiment were clearly positive.

Today, scientists are already planning to establish a colony on Mars. However, given the local high radiation levels, thin atmosphere and cold temperatures, the first humans to land on Mars will have to survive in harsh conditions. And even if the issues of survival can be solved, one of the biggest problems is what the colonists will eat.

This project was launched in February last year by the International Potato Center in conjunction with NASA. Scientists have tried to grow potatoes in the Pampas de La Jolla desert in southern Peru, where conditions (the driest and most barren soil) are as similar to Mars as possible.


The idea was not only to understand how potatoes could be grown on Mars, but scientists also wanted to know if this tuberous herbaceous nutrient plant could thrive in extreme conditions on Earth. If the experiment was positive, then it could solve the problems of food security and hunger around the world caused by climate change.


A team of scientists installed a sealed Cubesat container in the desert to fully simulate conditions on Mars. Inside the "cube", the researchers placed LED lighting to simulate solar radiation on the Red Planet, installed temperature controls to simulate Martian day and night temperatures, and devices to regulate the air pressure and oxygen content with carbon dioxide.


“If the potatoes can withstand the extreme conditions we put them in Cubesat, there is a good chance they will grow on Mars,” said researcher Julio Valdivia Silva. - We will do some experiments to find out which potato varieties are most suitable for this. We also want to know under what minimum conditions potatoes can survive. "

Tests over the past year have shown that the potatoes were able to germinate in the desert soil inside Cubesat. However, a salt-tolerant variety developed for use in the subtropical lowlands, which has recently been grown in coastal areas of Bangladesh where soil levels are high, have shown the best results.

And in continuation of the space theme again.

The results were promising

A scientific organization called the International Potato Center and the American aerospace agency NASA conducted an experiment to grow potatoes in conditions close to Mars. Despite the dry soil, unusual air and low atmospheric pressure characteristic of Mars, many varieties have successfully germinated.

The experiment was reported at the beginning of last year, when the experts are most suitable for growing in "Martian" conditions. About half of these varieties were artificially bred to require little water and be immune to viruses. Other varieties that were selected for the experiment grow in the Andes - they are able to grow on rocky soil in arid areas and tolerate sharp climatic changes.

Scientists have planted potatoes in a special "greenhouse" based on the CubeSat satellite. Inside this installation was land from the Pampa de la Hoya desert (one of the driest places on Earth), Atmospheric pressure, as well as the composition of the atmosphere corresponded to "Martian", the air temperature also corresponded to that usually observed on the Red Planet. Minerals characteristic of the Martian soil were added to the soil.

The experiment showed that it is most likely possible to grow potatoes on Mars, but this will require first saturating the soil with nutrients and loosen it up - in this case, the tubers will receive a sufficient amount of water and oxygen.

Experts conduct similar experiments to find out how high the chances will really be to grow certain food products on Mars - for example, if an expedition is sent to Mars, and such a "vegetable garden" would provide food for its participants.

In the middle of last year, specialists from Holland that they managed to grow radishes, peas, rye and tomatoes on soil similar to Martian soil, and all these products turned out to be suitable for human consumption.