Fungi In Space: Could Be Used To Build Martian Homes
Fungi in Space Are Able To Survive & Thrive, Despite Radiation Levels. Fungi Could Be Used AS food & A Building Material On Mars. This Article Details How That Works.
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Can Fungi Survive In Space?
It was 1988. Floating 350 kilometres above Earth, the crew of the Soviet space station Mir made a chilling discovery. Fungi In Space.
Their once clear viewport was clouded with a green and black, web-like growth. Soon, these tendrils were found across the shuttle, blanketing air conditioning units and corroding control panels, threatening both the station and its occupants.
The culprits were identified as several Earth-born fungi that had, against all odds, survived the journey into space. Once there, they’d adapted to the weightless, radiation-bathed environment.
Thankfully, the crew managed to contain these threats, and Mir remained in orbit for another 13 years. During this time, scientists realised that fungi could be space allies, not enemies. These often-overlooked organisms might hold the key to our future on other planets.
Fungi Survive Damaging Cosmic Radiation: Fungi In Space.
Beyond Earth’s protective magnetic shield, most living things need heavy protection from DNA-damaging cosmic radiation. But not fungi. Many species produce a unique form of melanin, a pigment that safely absorbs high levels of radiation and can even use this energy for growth. Even if radiation penetrates this natural armour and damages DNA, many fungi have powerful repair systems to fix the damage. And radiation isn’t the only cosmic challenge fungi can handle.
Fungi & Extreme Temperatures
Their tough spores have thick cell walls that protect them from extreme temperatures.
Fungi & the Future Of Space Travel
21 Fungi Facts that amaze people.
So, how could we use fungi in space? A major hurdle to settling other planets is sourcing the materials for habitats. We could send these up from Earth, but it’s incredibly expensive – currently around £8,000 per kilogram. Alternatively, we could use what’s already there. Homes could be built from the dust and broken rock – regolith – covering other planets. But this would need heavy, energy-hungry machinery to gather, heat, and compact the loose regolith into something usable. That’s where fungi come in. Most fungi have hair-like root structures called mycelia. As they grow, they bind nearby materials – wood chips, sawdust, or regolith – into a strong, interconnected network that makes a surprisingly tough building material, offering both warmth and radiation protection. It’s a bit like how on earth we have used fungi to construct packing materials , something I wrote about a year or so ago.
Architects in Space
Scientists working with NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts programme have outlined plans to grow fungal homes on other planets. Architcts wil design the best shapes and sizes for the martian explorers. Once that’s done its down to building the structures. Here’s how..
First, lightweight, flexible bags filled with dried spores are launched. Once there, rovers find water to rehydrate the spores and regolith for the fungi to bind to. Alternatively the bags could be pre-filled with a lightweight binding material like dried wood chips. And there’s another vital ingredient: cyanobacteria, which provide nutrients for the fungi and convert sunlight into oxygen. The mycelia grow to match the shape of the bags, creating walls, roof, and even furniture. Maintaining these buildings should be relatively simple, as any cracks can be reseeded and regrown. self repairing homes. Perhaps we could add colourants to save the choice of home decorating!
Scientists could engineer cyanobacteria to alert residents if repairs are needed by glowing when oxygen or pressure levels drop. Of course, there’s still much work to do before these lightweight habitat packs are ready for launch. In the meantime, researchers are developing these sustainable, carbon-capturing fungal habitats here on Earth. And housing is just one of many potential space uses for fungi. Colonies will need to grow their own food, but suitable soil isn’t readily available off Earth.
Fungi can release enzymes to turn carbon-rich asteroids into soil. They can also be engineered to mine metals like aluminium and iron, allowing space colonies to source these valuable resources locally. Fungi have come a long way from being space invaders and will undoubtedly continue to surprise us.
Using fungi to extract metals isn’t far fetched. On earth scientists are already working on phytomining. That is using plants to extract metals from the soil. It’s similar to bioremediation to clear up contamination.
