New Mars Forums
You are not logged in.
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
Announcement
#51 2026-06-29 10:51:50
- Void
- Member
- Registered: 2011-12-29
- Posts: 9,623
Re: Bipolar Mars Terraform Plan
So as insinuated here: 
In large blocks of ice, vast cities could be built.
Where I have implied that tubular vertical structure might be bounded and retained by ice pressure in a gravity field, it will also be possible to wrap such tubes in Carbon tensile webs and I suppose metal tensile methods.
Some time ago I did this drawing: 
Depicting in a fashion the Korolev Crater.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korolev_(Martian_crater)
Image Quote: 
The interior north wall of the crater is at a favorable angle to collect solar enegy.
Granted, this far north that is going to be seasonal, so other sources of energy are wanted. Power beamed from orbit perhaps, and perhaps some form of Nuclear power.
Ending Pending 
Last edited by Void (2026-06-29 10:59:39)
Is it possible that the root of political science claims is to produce white collar jobs for people who paid for an education and do not want a real job?
Offline
Like button can go here
#52 Yesterday 12:32:10
- Void
- Member
- Registered: 2011-12-29
- Posts: 9,623
Re: Bipolar Mars Terraform Plan
This could also go under life support but here is gives the idea that if you have a power source Nuclear & Solar, and water ice and Mars Atmosphere and a suitable shelter, bulk food will not be a problem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LjyzmRcQPk
Quote:
The company Making Meat Obsolete Using Solar Panels & Thin Air
The Electric Viking
This along with Acetate and Oxygen to grow plants in low light (It is hoped), and the fact that you could likely grow mushrooms on the yellow goop above, indicates that food is not going to be such a problem.
The goop includes proteins with a good balance and also Vitamin B12,
So, you could also likely have Chickens and Chicken eggs.
And if you are fussy about things you could avoid killing things with faces, or that are multicellular, to create your food.
That might bring up a level in the eyes of some possible aliens that we might eventually have contact with.
Ending Pending
Last edited by Void (Yesterday 12:37:50)
Is it possible that the root of political science claims is to produce white collar jobs for people who paid for an education and do not want a real job?
Offline
Like button can go here
#53 Today 03:13:44
- Calliban
- Member
- From: Northern England, UK
- Registered: 2019-08-18
- Posts: 4,333
Re: Bipolar Mars Terraform Plan
Impressive. This company is able to convert sunlight, CO2 and water, into 78% pure bioavailable protein. The process is healthier than any natural source and far more efficient. Turning this into things that people actually want to eat is the next big challenge.
In some ways, Mars with its cold almost pure CO2 atmosphere is almost perfect for electro-agriculture. On Earth, CO2 is a trace gas that is difficult and energy intensive to extract from air. On Mars, it is the bulk of the atmosphere. The low temperature makes compression relatively easy. Compressing it to liquid requires about 70wH/kg. The planet is further from the sun than Earth, but is mostly sunny. And nuclear reactors would work as well there as they do on Earth. Maybe food is something that a future Mars colony can profitably export.
Last edited by Calliban (Today 03:20:41)
"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."
Offline
Like button can go here
#54 Today 06:23:19
- Void
- Member
- Registered: 2011-12-29
- Posts: 9,623
Re: Bipolar Mars Terraform Plan
I appreciate your post. Well typically we regard space as a place where organic materials such as food, will be hard to come by.
But it is primarily the dry worlds where this will be relatively true. (Until you import a quantity of appropriate chemicals).
Cellular and Precision agriculture expansion is just beginning it seems. I suppose we might think that some dairy products and Alcohol were in that class of products already.
I think that some sort of healthy fat production is desired as well as the protein that the Finns seem to be working on.
I am very comfortable with Nuclear Fission in space as an energy supply, but also solar will be reliable in many situations.
I think it would be good if vegetables could be grown under dim light and lots of Acetate and Oxygen. I have a suspicion that Duck Weed and Hydrilla may already have an enhanced pathway to consume Acetate, as Acetate is a product of decay in water.
Quote:
Copilot Search Branding
Like
Dislike
Does Duckweed Smother Oxygen in Water?
Duckweed can both produce oxygen and deplete it, depending on growth density, light availability, and decomposition processes.Oxygen production during the day
Like all green plants, duckweed performs photosynthesis in sunlight, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen as a byproduct. This oxygen dissolves into the water, temporarily increasing dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, especially in small, calm water bodies with partial coverage biologyinsights.com+1.Oxygen depletion at night and under dense mats
At night, duckweed stops photosynthesis and continues respiration, consuming oxygen from the water. If the plant covers 50% or more of the surface, its collective nighttime respiration can rapidly lower DO levels biologyinsights.com.
A thick mat also acts as a physical barrier, blocking atmospheric oxygen from diffusing into the water and shading submerged plants and algae, which reduces their oxygen production biologyinsights.com+1.Decomposition and hypoxia
When duckweed dies, bacteria decompose the organic matter, consuming large amounts of oxygen. This process can cause hypoxia (low oxygen) or even anoxia (no oxygen) in the water column, especially at night when photosynthesis is absent iere.org+1.Net effect
In small, well-lit systems with light surface coverage, duckweed can be a short-term oxygen source. However, in large, nutrient-rich water bodies with dense mats, the nighttime respiration, blocked oxygen transfer, and decomposition often lead to a net oxygen deficit, which can harm fish and other aquatic life biologyinsights.com+2.In summary:
Daytime: Can oxygenate water via photosynthesis.
Nighttime & dense mats: Can deplete oxygen via respiration and decomposition.
Overall: In natural ponds with heavy coverage, duckweed often smothers oxygen rather than enriches it.
So, can Duckweed, turn a pond into a stomach where the Duckweed may benefit from the production of decay materials?
Quote:
Copilot Search Branding
Like
Dislike
Does Anoxic Water Produce Acetate?
In anoxic water, where dissolved oxygen is completely absent, the decomposition of organic matter is carried out by anaerobic microorganisms rather than aerobic bacteria. These anaerobic processes can produce a variety of reduced compounds, including acetate.How acetate is formed in anoxic water
When organic detritus (dead plant and animal material) sinks to the bottom of a lake, bay, or other water body, aerobic decomposition stops because there is no oxygen. Instead, anaerobic bacteria take over, using alternative electron acceptors such as nitrate, sulfate, or carbon dioxide. One common pathway is anaerobic respiration or fermentation, in which complex organic molecules are broken down into simpler compounds.In many of these processes, acetate (CH₃COO⁻) is a stable end product. For example:
Fermentation by certain anaerobic bacteria (e.g., Clostridium species) can convert sugars and other organic acids into acetate and other products.
Anaerobic digestion in sediments can also produce acetate as an intermediate in the breakdown of organic matter.
Other products in anoxic water
Alongside acetate, anaerobic decomposition in anoxic waters can produce:Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) — often with a rotten egg smell, from sulfate-reducing bacteria biologyinsights.com.
Methane (CH₄) — from methanogenic archaea in some environments.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) — from complete mineralization of organic matter.
Summary
Yes — anoxic water can produce acetate as part of anaerobic decomposition processes. Acetate is a common fermentation and anaerobic digestion product in oxygen-depleted environments, alongside other reduced compounds like hydrogen sulfide and methane biologyinsights.com. Wikipedia
So then we have seen experiments about growing vegetable crops, using Acetate and Oxygen. Algae and Yeast have a very good response to this but vascular land plants are limited. My suspicion is that Duckweed may have enhanced capability to utilize Acetate in water.
And I think it may be possible that other water creatures may also have those abilities. It may be that vascular land plants have a limited ability to utilize Acetate and other decay products as food.
Macro-Algae, "Do they have similar ability as microalgae does?"
Does Duckweed for Hydrilla? I we can find a vascular plant that is good at it perhaps it can be grafted into our vascular garden crops.
Of course we have not had an update on this for a while: https://www.snexplores.org/article/inno … ts-in-dark Quote:
Chemistry
No sun? No prob! A new process might soon grow plants in the dark
Electricity, not light, may one day power their growth — a special boon for space missions
Quote:
Copilot Search Branding
Like
Dislike
Growing Plants in the Dark with Acetate
Scientists have developed a light‑free method to grow plants by replacing sunlight‑driven photosynthesis with an artificial photosynthesis process that produces acetate as a food source.How it works
Traditional photosynthesis uses sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make glucose. Only about 1% of sunlight’s energy is converted into plant biomass, making it inefficient SciTechDaily+1. The new approach, led by researchers at the University of California, Riverside and the University of Delaware, uses a two‑step electrocatalytic process:Electrolyzer setup: Carbon dioxide, water, and electricity are fed into an electrolyzer.
Acetate production: The electrolyzer converts CO₂ and water into acetate (CH₃COOH), a simple organic molecule that plants can use for energy and growth Science News Explores+1.
Plant growth: Plants are grown in hydroponic systems with acetate as their primary carbon source, in complete darkness Modern Farmer.
The electricity for acetate production can come from solar panels or other power sources, but the plants themselves never receive sunlight SciTechDaily+1.
What’s been tested
Early experiments have shown success with:Algae, yeast, and fungal mycelium (mushrooms) Science News Explores+1
Food‑bearing crops such as lettuce, tomato, rice, canola, tobacco, green peas, and jalapeños BioTechniques+1
These plants were able to grow and even produce edible parts without any light exposure.
Efficiency gains
The acetate‑based method has been shown to be up to 18 times more efficient than natural photosynthesis for some crops SciTechDaily+1. This could be especially valuable in space agriculture, where sunlight is limited, or in controlled environments where light conditions are unstable.Potential applications
Space missions (e.g., Mars, lunar bases) where solar or nuclear power is available but sunlight is intermittent Science News ExploresUrban agriculture in buildings with limited sunlight
Climate‑resilient farming in areas with poor growing seasons
Current limitations
While the technology works in labs, scaling it for large‑scale agriculture will require:More efficient electrolyzers
Lower‑cost acetate production
Integration with existing plant growth systems
In short: You can grow plants in the dark by feeding them acetate made from CO₂ and electricity, bypassing the need for sunlight entirely. This could revolutionize food production in extreme or controlled environments Science News Explores+3.
I am considering the idea of a compromise where plants might be grown in low light with Acetate. I think this might work well eventually.
Making drawing: 
Not a particularly good drawing, but the artificial light source could be flipped between a concentrated light farm and a attenuated light farm. The Attenuated situation would supplement the growth of plants using Acetate and Oxygen.
Don't take the structure of the drawing as literal, but it is suggestive of methods. I am also incorporating human happiness into this. Humans could see perfectly well in 5% light so the attenuated lighting situation would be comfortable, but at times humans might want to be in the more intense light.
Ending Pending
Last edited by Void (Today 07:11:28)
Is it possible that the root of political science claims is to produce white collar jobs for people who paid for an education and do not want a real job?
Offline
Like button can go here