Human innovation (创新) has allowed people to explore space for decades. Within a space station, astronauts have enough air, food and water to complete missions of a year or longer without a resupply. But missions to further reaches of space are a different matter. Establishing a base on the moon or sending humans to Mars seems just on the horizon. That can only happen if innovative and foolproof ways are developed to supply humans with enough air, water and food.
One company, Interstellar Labs, has developed an advanced, closed loop system that can grow plants anywhere, even in space. They call their AI managed greenhouses BioPods and they are designed to be very efficient. In fact, Interstellar Labs claims that BioPods reduce the amount of land and water needed to produce food by 99 percent. That is not an impossible claim. BioPods don’t use any soil to grow plants, and the vast majority of water is recycled and recirculated.
Plants are grown inside BioPods using aeroponics, the practice of hanging plants in the air and spraying a mist of nutrient-rich water on their roots. By using aeroponics, the BioPod system carefully conserves water with amazing results. According to Interstellar labs, BioPod-grown plants are up to 300 times more productive than traditionally grown plants, using only a small amount of water.
The conditions inside of a BioPod are controlled by AI, which can change anything from the lighting to the temperature and humidity to maximize growth. This optimizes (使最优化) growing conditions no matter what the environment is outside, including the emptiness of space.
The BioPods themselves can be built in almost any environment, too. The pod’s structure is made with a 3D printer using raw materials in liquid form. The inside part is sealed with an inflatable membrane (充气膜) that is also 3D-printed. This means that a BioPod could be built right on the surface of the moon or Mars, making transporting a large structure unnecessary.
Like most technology developed for space exploration, BioPods can also be used on Earth to provide highly efficient food production systems even in the harshest environments.
【小题1】In writing paragraph 1, the author aims to____________.| A．present a topic | B．make a comparison |
| C．reach a conclusion | D．propose a definition |
| A．They are widely used for space exploration. |
| B．They are highly productive and efficient greenhouses. |
| C．They are easy to operate without need for soil or water. |
| D．They are deigned to be used in harsh environments on Earth. |
| A．Food Consumption in the Space Station | B．Space Exploration with BioPods |
| C．Growing Food in Space Pods | D．3D Printers Used in Space Lab |
| A．Positive. | B．Cautious. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Disapproving. |
