There will also be a hi-tech space garden in the simulation of a mission to Mars scheduled in Armenia from 5 March to 8 April 2024: called Hort3Space, it will be created by Enea and the Sapienza University of Rome with an innovative, fully automated system, specific LED lights and an integrated robotic arm, and will be set up inside an inflatable tent. The fake mission to the Red Planet, coordinated by the Austrian Space Forum with the support of Armenian institutions, will see six astronauts engaged in scientific experiments in various sectors, from geosciences to robotics, from engineering to life sciences, up to astrobiology, with the goal of preparing the ground for future human exploration missions of the Solar System.
Hort3Space was selected because it is able to develop an innovative plant for the hydroponic cultivation of various species of micro-vegetables (by hydroponic cultivation we mean one of the soilless cultivation techniques, in which the earth is replaced by other materials such as expanded clay and coconut fiber). The hi-tech vegetable garden makes it possible to reduce the workload of the astronauts who will take part in the simulation and the consumption of resources, and at the same time to increase the recovery and recycling of waste and maximize the production of fresh vegetables.
The mission, which is part of the Amadee-24 international project, will take place in the Armenian province of Ararat, which for its geomorphological characteristics resembles the Martian surface. The project will investigate, in particular, the behavior of innovative devices and equipment, such as space suit simulators and hi-tech platforms for testing life detection techniques, and will therefore allow the development of knowledge in the management of human space missions, as well as such as understanding the limitations and opportunities of the tested technologies.
Source: Ansa
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