GreenHab Report:
Today marked the completion of the transplantation effort in the GreenHab. We have assembled eight total conveyor trays (four Red Oak Lettuce and four Green Oak Lettuce in both hydroponic solution and in soil) and one tray with a density experiment which was planted in soil. The slow process of sealing the GreenHab also began today. We have continued to notice that despite the near continuous operation of the heater, the GreenHab does not stay within an acceptable temperature range. At night, the temperature gets down to between 48 F and 54 F which is not conducive to productive and rapid plant growth that is necessary to sustain a healthy astronaut’s diet. In order to help prevent some of the theorized leakage of heated air, clear caulk is being used to seal the places at the top of the GreenHab where air could escape. This is a difficult process as the materials from which the GreenHab is constructed are clearly not meant to be used for a greenhouse. We are concerned there may not be enough caulk on Mars to seal the GreenHab. I hope future crews can figure out how to stabilize the temperature. Finally, the seedlings are germinating at excellent rates! We can easily identify growth in the radish, green and red oak lettuce, carrot, and mystery crop. Yay mystery crop!
Thank you,
-Sean Gellenbeck
SEDS-MDRS Crew HSO