Tuesday, November 22, 2005

day 22 of 30

NanoWriMo2005
J E D Cline
Title: “The Ark of 1984’s Future”

Day 22 of 30

Idealiana was finding problems with the external greenhouse where the experimental patch of Quinoa was being grown. The atmospheric composition in the tiny greenhouse, separate from other structures they had built there on the airless lunar landscape, was difficult to maintain. Although the station had plenty of oxygen from chemical processing on lunar materials, they did not have a source of nitrogen to make up for losses in the leaky greenhouse. And to provide the carbon dioxide the plants required, the crew took turns relaxing in the greenhouse, their exhaled CO2 being the source. The next greenhouse was going to have to be part of the main habitated station, they decided, to get CO2 from the crew directly.

They were also having trouble with nitrogen air losses at the main station, and hydrogen supplies for water noticeably getting lower. They had started with a huge supply brought in on the original landing from GEO SpaceDock1, but it was clear that they were far from a fully self sustaining facility. The cities to be built in GEO would have even worse problems, as all materials would have to be imported and exported. At least they would have solar power continually, unlike here on the Moon where 14 day long nights had to be endured.

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