Settlement: Overview
In order to survive in space, particularly on the surface of the moon or mars, we must have a source of air, water, and food; a supply that will replenish itself, without shipments from earth. There is only one method to do this economically: grow them. It is a simple answer, but complex solution.
Farmers have been taking advantage of these systems for centuries with great success. But as farmers have found, when technology has been introduced to the farm to boost production, there are serious trade-offs. Technology requires sterilization, sensors, and supervision. And inevitably adds man-hours to the tasks the farmer must perform. Engineers have struggled with creating technologies for the use of astronauts, and while tremendous progress has been made on closed loop life support, nothing even comes close to the efficiency and flexibility of natural systems. And yet, engineers get bogged down in the tech -- and as a result, Biosphere 2 was created. But Biosphere was too big. It was doomed to failure on several counts: too many people, too big a space, and as a result, just too many variables to manage. When it comes to small-scale biomes, nature still wins hands down.
With these issues in mind, this proposal focuses on the application of low-tech, natural systems as much as possible for the solutions to habitation on other worlds or moons. For any long-term settlement, resources are key. Air, water, and food are just the basics. The natural system we put in place must also provide construction materials, cloth, tools, and eventually vehicles.
I do not presuppose that this proposal is perfect, nor even adequate. I submit that it will be the settlers who set up the biome that make it work. There will be problems that we just cannot hope to work out, much less duplicate here on earth. So this proposal aims to set in place a framework that is forgiving, and workable for settlers; a framework that doesn't require a master's degree to understand, and work with.
A natural system is a life form in itself. As a life form, that system can grow and expand with the addition of basic resources. The most basic resources are represented in carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, among others. The challenge to maintaining a living system on the moon or mars is in achieving and maintaining a reasonable harmony among the elements: humans, animals, plants, insects, soil, water, and air. Both the moon and mars have available some of these components, but not a complete set.
First, there must be sufficient living space to allow room for each of the species to develop and function reasonably. To do this a half-cylinder shaped habitat is deemed reasonable, with dimensions of 15-foot radius, and 60 feet in length. With judicious use of space this volume can provide up to 3000 square feet of working floor space.
Humans, us, provide the overall direction, and maintenance of the habitat, and in return receive sustenance from the habitat members. Additionally, research and exploration can be performed to further the goal of additional settlements as time moves on.
Chickens, Rabbits, and Pigs all are vegetarians, and are not too particular about the plants they draw sustenance from. Their digestion processes also provide important elements to supplement the work of the worms, and composter.
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Plants will be cultivated in three varieties: Swamp or Bog plants will provide primary water filtration and air production; Crop plants will provide primary foods; tubers will provide food; and Bamboo will provide production materials. Worms provide a worker that facilitates breakdown of food wastes and a substrate for bacteria to finish the job. |
Bees provide a worker that assists plants in their fertilization, for which the bees receive their food.
The composter and worm beds provide a home and workshop for the cultivation of bacteria that finalize the breakdown of solid wastes into useable composts products that can then be returned to the planting beds.
These species represent an initial framework for a diverse, harmonious, and forgiving biome in small scale. My future posts will detail how each element is placed and how it contributes within the biome.
