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Fresh answers are questioning the broader applicability of the Wardian case – and note the importance of where on the moon the plants are grown
Are there any plants and creatures that could be taken to the moon and would survive, reproduce and be a viable food source in, say, 25 years’ time? (continued)
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John Davies
Haverbreaks, Lancashire, UK
A previous answer (Robin Maguire, 4 July) referred to the Wardian case, but not to the biggest ever such device, Biosphere 2.
Today, Biosphere 2 is similar to the Eden Project in the UK, but it was originally a sealed environment that included eight humans. Two attempts to achieve a closed ecological system failed, as plants and animals died, oxygen ran low and the humans bickered.
While the Wardian case was a successful means of transplanting species to alien environments, its application to larger environments requires more work.
Eric Kvaalen
Les Essarts-le-Roi, France
Robin Maguire says: “The moon is quite cold and the lunar day is about a month long, so underfloor heating and part-time sunlamps would be needed”. Actually, the moon gets to around 120°C (248°F) during the time when the sun is shining. But of course, since there is no atmosphere, the temperature in a greenhouse would depend only on its own energy balance, not on the temperature of the surroundings. However, if the idea is to grow plants near the south or north poles, then there wouldn’t be enough sunlight at any time, for heat or photosynthesis, because the sun is no more than 1.5 degrees above the horizon, or else below the horizon.
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