It is soon 50 years since the first human set foot on the moon, how can it be that we have not yet put people on Mars?! This is because it is very risky and very expensive: Mars is over 7 months of space travel away and everything the astronauts need to bring from the ground. It makes the rocket very heavy! Weight equals money and therefore the cost of a manned mission to Mars is currently far too high. There is therefore research into how to bring as little cargo as possible and how the astronauts can become self-sufficient on Mars. A cornerstone of this research is how to use biology in space!
Christina Toldbo is a trained astrophysicist from the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen. She specializes in human exploration of space and colonization of the moon and Mars. Christina has worked with a former astronaut to develop a system to grow algae in space. The Alans were to produce oxygen and food for astronauts on long-term space journeys. However, it is difficult for plants to survive in the room. Therefore, Christina has also researched the genetic manipulation of plants so that they can survive cold. In 2017-2018 she worked for the European Space Agency ESA. The lecture is about how "biology in the room" creates completely new opportunities in space travel.
After the lecture, H.C. Ørsted is awarded the medal to an inspiring primary school teacher.