“They’ve known for a while that crops can grow in Martian soil,” Andy Weir, who wrote The Martian, tells Engadget. But this research suggests that beyond the soil, even in Mars’ harsh growing conditions, the tubers can not only survive but thrive. “If the crops can tolerate the extreme conditions that we are exposing them to in our CubeSat, they have a good chance to grow on Mars,” one researcher says. And not just there, but perhaps at home, too. “This [research] could have a direct technological benefit on Earth and a direct biological benefit on Earth,” says Chris McKay of NASA ARC. The thinking? If these root vegetables can grow on Mars, they can grow in the harshest conditions on Earth, even where ravaged by a changing climate.
https://www.newser.com/story/239499/matt-damon-was-right-potatoes-can-grow-on-mars.html
Scientists Coax First Flower to Bloom in Outer Space
https://www.newser.com/story/219122/scientists-coax-first-flower-to-bloom-in-outer-space.html
Thanks for the update, I hadn’t seen that. I think on a long flight to Mars, this technique might work fine.
“The Martian” is a great movie.