The researchers' idea is that a series of missions will be sent to Mars before the main mission.
In these reactors, sunlight and carbon dioxidefrom the atmosphere will go to cyanobacteria. Under the influence of enzymes, they will produce sugars, which in turn, when interacting with E. coli, participate in the synthesis of 2,3-butanediol and oxygen, which will be separated at further stages of the process.
According to the team's calculations, this process will be32% more efficient than the proposed chemical plant producing oxygen on Mars through chemical catalysis using methane supplied from Earth, although it will be three times heavier. The next step is to find ways to make the equipment smaller and lighter, and the biological side of the process faster and more efficient.
“We also need to conduct experiments,to demonstrate that cyanobacteria can be grown in Martian conditions, says Matthew Realff. - We have to account for the difference in the solar spectrum on Mars, both due to the distance from the Sun and due to the lack of atmospheric filtering of sunlight. High levels of UV light can damage cyanobacteria. "
According to the Georgia Institute of Technology,to put into orbit 500 kg of payload with a crew, the Martian ascending vehicle (MAV) will need 30 tons of methane and liquid oxygen. While Mars can produce liquid oxygen, methane must come from Earth, which means that the initial payload taking off from Earth weighs 500 tons and costs $ 8 billion to transport additional fuel.
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