#MartianTerrarium #SustainablePlantLife #MarsHabitat #RedPlanetExperiment #TerrariumResearch

Mars has long captured the imagination of scientists and space enthusiasts alike, with its barren, red landscape and potential for supporting human life. While we may not yet have the technology to send humans to the planet, we can still explore the feasibility of sustaining plant life on Mars through a terrarium experiment.

In this experiment, we’re aiming to recreate the environmental conditions of Mars using a terrarium and explore the potential for plant growth on the planet. The terrarium is equipped with LED grow lights, a fan, and simulated Martian regolith soil. The experiment will run for a month, during which, the time, temperature, humidity, and radiation levels were monitored.

Overall, the experiment will provide insights into the challenges of sustaining plant life on Mars and highlighted the need for further research in this area. Future directions for research include experimenting with different plant species, increasing the size of the terrarium, and incorporating other environmental factors such as soil composition and atmospheric composition.

This experiment will be a small step towards understanding the potential for sustaining plant life on Mars. It will demonstrate the feasibility of using a terrarium to simulate Martian environmental conditions and provide valuable information on the challenges and limitations of the process. As we continue to explore the possibility of human missions to Mars, research in this area will be crucial in developing sustainable habitats for the planet’s potential future inhabitants.

At the field station recently, we’ve been brainstorming additional ways to be mobile. In addition to being on-site and location orientated around the region, we’ve also been considering the benefits of creating art installations. For example, we recently proposed a terrarium art installation to the local library and the idea was received warmly. Continuing this idea, we thought of how art installations can make use of locations such as the local library to be an option for the field station to conduct our work.

Art installations can be a valuable addition to the mission of a mobile field station. Beyond their aesthetic value, art installations can bring a unique perspective to scientific research and foster creative thinking among scientists and researchers. Art can also help to engage and connect with the wider community, promoting the importance of scientific research and encouraging public interest in the natural world.

In a mobile field station, art installations can provide a platform for exploring the relationship between scientific research and the natural environment. By using natural materials and referencing local ecology and geography, art installations can highlight the importance of conservation and sustainability in scientific research. Moreover, art installations can help to bridge the gap between scientific research and the public, by providing a tangible and accessible way to understand complex scientific concepts and ideas. Ultimately, art installations can help to enrich the mission of a mobile field station, by providing a creative and engaging way to explore the natural world and communicate scientific research to the wider community.

Follow along to see how we continue to develop this idea and utilize art installations as a method to conduct our research.