The paper discusses a plan for nutrient supply and plant farming for the 8 crews lunar base (to be lxpanded to 16 crews as the base grows).
If the plant produces crop according to our estimation, our study shows that rice, soybean, lettuce and strawberry in less than 40 m
2 of farming area per crew is able to supply enough food for the crews from the nutritious point of view.
Among the essential nutrient elements required, however, vitamin B
2, calcium and sodium are not satisfied. We hope supply of the unsatisfied nutrients will be realized by the following ways.
For example, they are mushroom cultivation for supply of vitamin B
2, transportation of lime from the earth for calcium and recovery of sodium from human urine for sodiumchloride.
Under the isolated and closed environment like in a luna base, not only nutritious sufficiency but also pleasure of eating is very important. Also we think it is necessary to generate as many kinds of foods as possible out of limited number of plant species.
The plant module is equipped with such accommodations as ventilation, dew defending devices for the ceiling, wall showers, entrance air-showers, hazard protection structures for the linkage to the pathway section which leads to the habitat modules, etc..
The module also is furnished with monitors for its environment and they control CO
2, O
2, temperature, humidity and illumination. In addition, plant diagnostic monitors are equipped and are capable of predicting the outbreak of diseases or taking necessary measures such as sprinkling antibiotic agricultural chemicals etc.. And for the emergency case, steam sterilization or ultraviolet sterilization etc. is to be activated.
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