Breaking News: Technology and Aquaponics Are Revolutionizing How We Grow Food

FORT GARLAND, Colo. - Jan. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- The college of Agriculture and Sciences in Tuscon, Arizona won NASA’s Steckler Space Grant for advancing space colonization. In October of 2013, the ASC Magazine had the privilege of visiting the college to find out what they were doing. What did they discover? Space age greenhouses and growth chambers that are out of this world; it was like stepping into a sci-fi movie set.

Why should we be so excited by this research? Hi-Tech greenhouses won’t just benefit NASA, they will also benefit us here on earth. Minimizing water usage and creating energy efficient grow chambers will teach us better ways to use the earth’s resources more responsibly. http://www.international.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24812%3Anews-aquaponics-the-wave-of-the-future&catid=323%3Aprlog&Itemid=479

Hydroponics is currently being used to grow food in the greenhouse; however they would like to integrate Aquaponics into the Lunar greenhouse at some point. Gene Giacomelli, the director of the controlled environment agriculture program believes it is only a matter of time until they can achieve that goal.

The goal is to prove that the lunar greenhouse can provide enough food and oxygen for up to 4 astronauts on a continual basis. Whilst the system is energy and water efficient, they haven’t been able recycle water the way they had hoped to. The water has to be topped up intermittently and that isn’t possible in space.  Solving the issues of water and power usage will be a huge leap forward for the college and NASA. http://aquaponics-how-to-guide.info/aquanewsletter/

The system is not perfect and will require more research and testing, however it is truly ground breaking. Can you imagine astronauts being able to live on fresh foods when they are out in space? Instead of living on dehydrated packaged foods and vitamin supplements, they could go into their own lunar greenhouse and pick fresh food daily.

If this kind of technology will work in space, can you imagine how well it could work here on earth? Who would have thought that the future of food and farming could be so exciting? We invite you to subscribe to the ASC Magazine and keep informed about the future of our food.