The Martian, But Make It Florida
It sounds like something straight out of The Martian: could human waste eventually help grow food on the moon?
Scientists at the University of South Florida have been working with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on technology that could make that possible.
Researchers in USF’s Membrane Biotechnology Lab have developed a system that uses microorganisms to break down human waste and recover the nutrients. The result is a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used to grow plants without soil.
And they’ve already successfully grown bok choy with it.
For agriculture in space, that kind of nutrient recycling could be critical. Transporting supplies is extremely expensive, and future astronauts on long-duration missions can’t necessarily depend on regular shipments of fertilizer, water and other growing inputs from Earth.
USF Professor Daniel Yeh says his lab has spent about 20 years developing off-grid wastewater treatment and resource recovery systems, including eight years working with Kennedy Space Center.
And while the destination may be space, researchers say the same technology could help turn waste into usable resources right here on Earth.
