Astronaut plans to plant the first tree on Mars

Jakarta –

Scientists are planning to do the impossible, that is to plant trees on Mars. If he succeeds, this would be the first tree to grow on Mars.

In recent research, it was found that it is necessary to increase carbon dioxide (CO2) on Mars to support the growth of plants and increase the temperature on the planet to grow trees.

The conditions required for plant growth on the Red Planet are not created in the ‘tropics’ of Mars. The plan to plant trees on Mars is led by Robert Olszewski, a professor at the Warsaw University of Technology in Poland.

Researchers have studied the surface energy balance on the planet such as diffuse heat exchange between evaporation and concentration of carbon dioxide, heat transport through atmospheric circulation and heat exchange with the subsurface.

“Surprisingly, conditions that allow the growth of plants first appeared in the tropics (±25 °) but in the area of ​​the Hellas Basin. as mentioned from WIONnews.

Researchers simulate processes on Mars for tree growth
Olszewski and his research team used the temperature and pressure data of the Scandinavian planet Mars created in the 1970s and simulated various processes on Mars.

“Here, we use a basic model to study the greenhouse effect caused by increases in CO2 and artificial greenhouse warming,” said Olszewski in a paper presented at the Meeting Astrobiology and the Future of Life held at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, United States.

They also assessed the total pressure required on Mars, the O2 required, the appropriate high percentage of CO2, the temperature required for tree growth, and the amount of water available.

“The atmospheric conditions that exist on Mars today make the existence of life impossible. The requirements for plant growth on Mars were considered in the context of terraforming and low-pressure greenhouses,” said Olszewski.

He said their research emphasized temperature, as this is a fundamental environmental variable that changes over time and controls the CO2 cycle and the formation of liquid water.

“If we focus on temperature, it should be several tens of degrees higher, and daily variations should be much lower. For trees to grow, the growing season must last at least 110 sols ( Martian days),” the study said.

(rns/rns)