The International Space Station will soon host some of the smallest miners in
the universe-microbes. Microbes growing on the surface of rocks can gradually
break them down and extract useful minerals and metals. This is a process
called biomining.
As we explore space we are seeking to use biomining to turn rock and regolith
into soil for growing plants and food, but before we can use this technique in
planetary settlements we first need to test it in space.
On the space station bioreactors will be placed inside a centrifuge where
microbes will grow on rocks in microgravity and simulated Martian
gravity.
Investigators will examine how three types of microbes behave within pieces
of basalt and evaluate how well the different microbes extract elements from
the rocks.
The findings will be compared to ground-based results. We hope to gain
insights into how microbes interact with rocks in microgravity and how we might
use them in our exploration of deep space.