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| − | Can we inspire a generation of people, inundated by every good idea ever thought, that there are entire worlds which are currently unexplored? The necessary means of connecting these worlds, has not been created. The tools and machines to explore, exploit, and create | + | Can we inspire a generation of people, inundated by every good idea ever thought, that there are entire worlds which are currently unexplored? The necessary means of connecting these worlds, has not been created. The tools and machines to explore, exploit, and create need to be built, so let's get on with it. |
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Revision as of 12:35, 24 June 2015
Project SpaceMoss
Exploring beyond Earth requires technological innovations, both industrial and for sustaining life in a hostile environment. Mars is an extremely hostile environment for any organism to survive. There is very little oxygen, high levels of radiation, and dangerous substances in the soil. Astronauts could live out their lives never touching martian soil, but our ambition is much more than astronauts living in metal boxes.
Our motivation for exploring space is quite simple. It's completely new! There is literally a lot of space! Our planetary system has a tremendous amount of resources available. But it's more than that.
Can we inspire a generation of people, inundated by every good idea ever thought, that there are entire worlds which are currently unexplored? The necessary means of connecting these worlds, has not been created. The tools and machines to explore, exploit, and create need to be built, so let's get on with it.
Red Lab and Green Lab
Red Lab
In the 'Red Lab', the team will expose the moss to harsh martian conditions, including extreme temperature differences, fake martian soil, radiation exposure, pressure and CO2 concentrations. More about Red LabGreen Lab
In the 'Green Lab', the team will attempt to make the moss more hardy by modifying it with an 'anti-freeze' gene from a ringworm. This amazing feature works by attaching onto the ends of the ice crystals forming in the cell, slowing down the growth of the crystals. Then, we will attempt to produce resveratrol in the moss, demonstrating the potential of using the hardy moss to produce compounds, such as pharmaceuticals which have shelf lives shorter than the trip between the planets. More about Green Lab