Scientists have found promising new evidence that could help make Mars eventually habitable for humans. <\/p>\n
Alongside the Moon, Mars has had a lot of interest from scientists here on Earth. <\/p>\n
While it's very unlikely that we'll ever live on the Moon, there are hopes that Mars will eventually be habitable for humans. <\/p>\n
It won't be a long-term plan for humankind however as the Red Planet was recently deemed unsafe for us to live for longer than four years. <\/p>\n
Despite the potential knock back, scientists are still testing theories that could help us eventually make a home on Mars and they've recently made a huge breakthrough. <\/p>\n
Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences say they have found Syntrichia caninervis - a common kind of moss that's able to grow in extreme desert environments - is able able to withstand Mars-like conditions, including drought, high levels of radiation and extreme cold. <\/p>\n
While moss isn't something that's edible, it could prove hugely beneficial in making Mars' atmosphere more habitable. <\/p>\n
Prof Stuart McDaniel, an expert on moss at the University of Florida but was not involved in the study, explained to The Guardian: \"Cultivating terrestrial plants is an important part of any long-term space mission because plants efficiently turn carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and carbohydrates essentially the air and food that humans need to survive. <\/p>\n
\"Desert moss is not edible, but it could provide other important services in space.\" <\/p>\n
As well as surviving Mars-like conditions, the moss was said to have rapidly recovered from almost complete dehydration. <\/p>\n
Other moss samples were placed in a 80C (112F) freezer for three or five years and a 196C (-321F) liquid nitrogen storage tank for 15 or 30 days before being moved over to sterilized sand for recovery, IFL Science reports. <\/p>\n
Remarkably the plants recovered quite well from being exposed to such harsh conditions and had a reintegration rate of around 95 percent that of control plants. <\/p>\n
The moss was also exposed to the kind of extreme radiation it would face on the red planet as well, which the samples survived. <\/p>\n
There are now hopes that the moss will be one day be tested on Mars or the Moon to look into possibility of plant colonisation and growth in outer space. <\/p>\n
While the study doesn't confirm that the moss could definitely survive on the Red Planet, it's certainly a step in the right direction. <\/p>\n
\"This extremotolerant moss could be a promising pioneer plant for Mars colonisation,\" Prof Edward Guinan of Villanova University shared. <\/p>\n
Noting that more research is needed, he went on: \"We have a long way to go, but this lowly desert moss offers hope for making small portions of Mars habitable for humankind in the future.\" <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Visit link:<\/p>\n
Scientists discover plant that could grow on Mars and pave the way for human life on the planet - UNILAD<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Scientists have found promising new evidence that could help make Mars eventually habitable for humans. Continue reading