Astronauts on the first manned missions to Mars could tend "kitchen gardens" onboard spaceships, scientists claim.
Experts say the crops would not only give crews healthy food to eat during the long journey to the red planet, but would also improve the atmosphere onboard by producing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide.
In addition, the plants suggested as suitable by a NASA scientist would require minimal tending and not take up much room on spacecraft.
The 10 "prime candidates" are lettuce, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, spring onions, radishes, peppers, strawberries, herbs and cabbage.
Maya Cooper, speaking at the American Chemical Society's annual conference, said: "Right now, we are looking at the possibility of implementing a bio-regenerative system that would involve growing crops in space and possibly shipping some bulk commodities to a Mars habitat as well.
"This scenario involves much more food processing and meal preparation than the current food system developed for the space shuttles and the International Space Station", he said.


据英国《每日电讯报》8月29日报道，科学家称，执行搭乘第一艘载人飞船登陆火星任务的宇航员们可能就要在航天飞船上打理一个"菜园子"了。
专家表示，农作物不仅可以给船员们在前往"红色星球"的漫长旅途中提供健康的食物，而且它们还可以吸收二氧化碳排出氧气，改善船舱内的环境。

美国国家宇航局的一位科学家也推荐了一些适合在飞船上种植的植物。这些植物只需稍加照料，不会占用舱内太多空间。

初步筛选出的10种主要农作物包括莴苣、菠菜、胡萝卜、番茄、大葱、水萝卜、胡椒、草莓、药草和卷心菜。

玛雅•库帕在美国化学学会年会上说："如今，我们正在探寻实现生物再生系统的可能性，涉及农作物在太空种植和将大宗货物运往火星基地。"



他说："与目前为航天飞机和国际太空站研发的食物系统相比，该计划需要更繁杂的食品加工和膳食储备。"

• healthy [´helθi] a.健康的 (初中英语单词)
• planet [´plænit] n.行星 (初中英语单词)
• atmosphere [´ætməsfiə] n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词)
• oxygen [´ɔksidʒən] n.氧，氧气 (初中英语单词)
• carbon [´kɑ:bən] n.碳；(一张)复写纸 (初中英语单词)
• addition [ə´diʃən] n.加；加法；附加物 (初中英语单词)
• suitable [´su:təbəl, ´sju:-] a.合适的，适当的 (初中英语单词)
• chemical [´kemikəl] a.化学的 n.化学制品 (初中英语单词)
• annual [´ænjuəl] a.每年的 n.年刊 (初中英语单词)
• conference [´kɔnfərəns] n.讨论(会)；会谈 (初中英语单词)
• possibility [,pɔsə´biliti] n.可能(性)；希望；前途 (初中英语单词)
• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)
• involve [in´vɔlv] vt.卷缠；包括；使专注 (初中英语单词)
• shipping [´ʃipiŋ] n.船运业；船舶(总数) (初中英语单词)
• preparation [,prepə´reiʃən] n.准备；预习(时间) (初中英语单词)
• international [,intə´næʃənəl] a.国际的，世界的 (初中英语单词)
• scientist [´saiəntist] n.(自然)科学家 (高中英语单词)
• lettuce [´letis] n.莴苣 (高中英语单词)
• cooper [´ku:pə] v.&n.制桶工人；修桶工人 (英语六级单词)
• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)