Posted on 07/05/2016 11:34:58 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
When a Navy submarine first deploys to sea, it is stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. A week in, the lettuce in the salad bar turns translucent, the tomatoes become mushier, and thawed fruit is common. Eventually, canned sauces and beans and dehydrated potatoes replace all fresh produce.
If research the US military has started is successful, a submarine crew’s diet won’t be bland much longer. The military has begun a $100,000 project to grow plants hydroponically – in a nutrient solution instead of soil – at the Army’s Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center near Boston. Although the first two rounds of experiments have been on land in a 40-foot shipping container-turned-laboratory, the military hopes to one day grow plants inside the hull of a submarine.
The undertaking is just one of numerous projects aimed at to growing fruits and vegetables in the most unusual, even unnatural, environments to fuel manned journeys into the depths of Earth and space. As the military tries to perfect hydroponics in submarines, leafy greens and other vegetables are being grown in space and in the ocean in desalinated water.
Any progress made will benefit ocean and space explorers both physically and mentally, Erik Biksa, editor and co-founder of Grozine, a hydroponics magazine, tells The Christian Science Monitor in a phone interview Tuesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
I thought right away of hydroponics. They could probably find a hygienic way to recycle urine for the nitrates. The lights would be somewhat of a power drain. They’d have to find a way to desalinate seawater as well. It would be a great health benefit for the sailors.
Seems totally doable based on current methods and research. I think it’s a great idea for nuke subs especially.
Doubt power for the lights would be a problem on a nuclear sub.
And I don’t think we have any more diesel subs.
Space is probably more of a problem than power. But as they use up their initial stores, maybe that space could be put to use.
pot farmers have been growing indoors and underground for years.
the issue won’t be whether or not they can grow some veggies. they can. the issue will be to grow enough veggies for a crew in the confined space.
I actually went inside a retired sub while visiting Israel. This was a venerable model, but still smelled like diesel oil. I was amazed at the lack of space. No one of any decent size could possibly have lived aboard this thing, and I am small. It was an amazing experience in the Israel Naval Museum in Haifa.
Since there are successful companies with completely indoor vegetable factories now, it doesn’t seem like it would impossible to implement this in a submarine.
Drone Amazon subs arrive weekly. Problem solved.
Smacks of more pc wussification of the military. Subs aren’t supposed to be submersible salad bars.
I’m sure if you took out half the crew, all the weapons, most of the electronics you would have enough room to grow a salad for every day.
On a carrier you could use the entire flight deck and hanger once the stupid aircraft and pilots and mechanics are deleted and nobody would try to sink you anymore cause you are just a nuclear powered greenhouse.
I’d rather have a Buffalo Wild Wings on the ship.
Increasing the time that you can keep your sub out at sea without having to come in for supplies is a good thing... especially if things get ugly.
Leds grow plants quite nicely, are quiet, use very little electricity, and very little heat. Had a 3 yr old mango till I put it out one spring.
The plants would yield up oxygen under the lights, but unless grown under continual light, would consume it during their dark cycles.
Smacks of more pc wussification of the military. Subs aren’t supposed to be submersible salad bars.
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This is phase II & or III
I was separate facilities for the ladies
I or II was separate facilities for the men that declare themselves ladies
Just remove a weapon or two from the tubes and you have a start.
Of course when they figure out that the water from the reactors is being used on the plants....well you know what I mean.....<: <: <:
Pussification is the name of the game. They may also require microgreens to spruce up their toasted baguette bruschetta ordirves.
Expand this a bit (ok a lot) and a suitably large nuke sub would make a fine survival module for a breeding pool of the human race during WWIII. Of course you will want a very carefully selected crew.
What’s wrong with frozen veggies!
Is Michelle Obama behind this?
Ask the enlisted guys. Probably half of them have grown pot under lights.
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