Kōkihi: Could New Zealand Spinach Feed Astronauts on the Moon or Mars?
Could kōkihi, New Zealand’s native spinach, help feed future astronauts on the Moon or Mars? Discover how this remarkable coastal plant’s tolerance to salt and water stress makes it an intriguing candidate for space agriculture, and explore the scientific questions we need to answer before taking it beyond Earth.
Mark Rocket: From Aotearoa to the blackness of space
Mark Rocket, the first New Zealander to reach space, shares the experience of launch, weightlessness and seeing Earth against the blackness of space. He also discusses sustainability, aerospace careers and why students should take action to follow their ambitions.
Witnessing the birth of a new solar system for the first time
Astronomers have, for the first time, witnessed the very beginning of a planetary system forming around a distant star. Using the combined power of the James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA, researchers observed hot minerals just starting to solidify around the baby star HOPS-315. These earliest stages of planet formation tells about what our own Solar System may have looked like over 4.5 billion years ago. This discovery is a major leap for astrobiology, as we are trying to understand how the conditions for life might emerge elsewhere in the Universe.
Life on Mars and other things interview with Mitch Schulte
Interview by Massey University Radio Control
Abiogenesis for #AstrobiologyNZ
Richard loves to talk about space and the word astrobiology is no foreign to him. I really hope that there are many more movies like this one to come. Watching the movie’s planetary landscape sent me into a familiar but strange and beautifully compiled world. Food for thought!