How would future colonies on Mars grow crops, and what would be the human diet?
Due to the thin atmosphere and the consequent exposure to space radiation and particle bombardment, the first human and agriculture habitats on Mars will be underground. Light will eventually be generated by a nuclear reactor, but will initially have to be piped down from solar collectors. Greenhouses that make excellent use of the high levels of CO2 found in the Martian atmosphere and long cycles of continuous light will be constructed to facilitate fast crop growth. Until the content of Martian soil is known, crops will be grown solely with water, in a process called hydroponics. This will prove to be more efficient anyway, because scientists can control the concentration and variety of nutrients each plant needs, thus encouraging faster growing and healthier crops.
