One of the biggest problems of the space travel It's about the absence of oxygen. A team of scientists may have found an effective system to allow humans to breathe on Mars and other planets to be colonized.
The answer, it seems, lies in bacteria. They are the ones who could solve all our space breathing problems and make traveling significantly easier. To be precise, it seems that cyanobacteria promise an "airy" future for man in space.
Scientists think they could use them on the red planet by exploiting their ability to transform carbon dioxide into oxygen, with a search started four years ago now.
As things stand, experts are thinking about sending a first "vanguard" of cyanobacteria there to see if they can do their job.
Is it possible to breathe in space?
Cyanobacteria are able to grow in very hostile environments, and have the potential to resist even on Mars.
Previously completed experiments have shown that these bacteria are able to grow in a Martian-like environment. Cyprien Verseux, an astronomer who took part in some of these experiments. In reference to the project for breathing in space, the expert stated:
“Cyanobacteria can use gases available in the Martian atmosphere, at low total pressure, as a source of carbon and nitrogen. The cyanobacteria retained their ability to grow in waters containing only Mars-like dust and could still be used to feed other microbes. This could help make long-term missions on the red planet sustainable."
An interesting possibility
NASA is enthusiastic about the start of the project and aims to send new men to Mars soon.
The dream is also shared by private companies: you know very well that the CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk expressed a desire to bring to the red planet even one million people by 2050. Let me question the timing of the operation.
Oxygen would certainly solve a huge problem: it would lead to safer and more in-depth exploration, ideal for learning more about the "Red Planet".
There are still many problems to be solved, but this new project leaves us with great hopes for the future.
