We re going to Mars in the next 20 years. This facility will allow the university to promote new and emerging technologies and participate in partnerships exploring space technology. It is certain that future human exploration of space must be based on a biological life-support system, Dixon said. Currently, space mission vehicles are able to carry just enough air, food and water to keep crews alive for short missions. But during long space missions, the needs of the crew can be met only by developing renewable life-support systems based on plants and microorganisms.
Plants are the most efficient means of sustaining life in space.
They provide food and add oxygen to the atmosphere by removing carbon dioxide and helping eliminate polluting byproducts. They also help provide water and recycle waste. This unique facility definitely puts us at the forefront of the frontiers of science. It also allows us to foster collaborative interactions among European, American and Canadian specialists, helping us create and transfer new knowledge. The new facility and hypobaric chambers will allow researchers to rigorously monitor the effect of growing plants at various pressures to sustain life in orbit.