Growing Plants on the Moon. - Accessible Astro Starter

Grow Food Like NASA Plans to do on the Moon.

Have you ever wondered how astronauts on long-duration missions and colonies on the Moon or Mars will have access to food? Well, NASA scientists are developing innovative approaches to agriculture that involve growing crops in space. In this article, we will explore three aspects of growing food in space: Controlled Environmental Agriculture, Hydroponics, and Remote Environment Adaptations.

Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) is a cutting-edge approach to agriculture that involves controlling the growth substrate, water source, and atmosphere to achieve desired outputs that are reliable, sustainable, and economically viable. NASA has been a pioneer in developing technology and research that addresses the challenge of producing food for manned space missions. Through its research and development, NASA has contributed immensely to the advancement of indoor farming technology and has been a cornerstone for the commercialization of CEA.

Hydroponics is a technique that involves growing plants in nutrient-enriched fluid without using soil. NASA is studying several plant species, including radishes, lettuce, and green onions, for possible use as food crops in long-duration space missions. Hydroponics can create a sustainable environment inside spacecraft, where plants can remove toxic carbon dioxide from the air and create life-sustaining oxygen. However, developing a bioregenerative system is a challenging and time-consuming process, requiring scientists to study the effects of different amounts of light, temperature, and carbon dioxide on plant growth. They are also examining the competition of plants for light and nutrients and the effects of different types of lighting on plants to determine which color best helps them grow.

Another interesting method of growing food in space involves Remote Environment Adaptations like using lunar soil. A recent study has shown that plants can be cultivated in samples of lunar soil brought back from the Moon by the Apollo astronauts. Lunar soil is dry and barren and does not contain organic matter or inherent water content, which is characteristic of Earth’s soil. But it is composed of the same minerals as terrestrial soils, so assuming that the lack of water, sunlight, and air is ameliorated by cultivating plants inside a lunar habitat, then the regolith could have the potential to grow plants.

NASA already has plant growing systems in orbit on the international space station investigating ways to grow plants on long-duration space missions. Fresh produce is critical for keeping astronauts healthy, as pre-packaged meals do not provide the nutrients required for good health. As astronauts travel further into space, the vitamins in pre-packaged food break down, leaving fresh fruits and vegetables as the best option. NASA’s Vegetable Production System, or Veggie, is currently on the International Space Station and uses a growth media and fertilizer to grow plants in the absence of Earth’s gravity.

NASA’s Advanced Plant Habitat is a growth chamber on the space station for plant research. It is enclosed and automated, with cameras and sensors in constant contact with a team on the ground. The system uses LED lights and a porous clay substrate to deliver water, nutrients, and oxygen to the plant roots. NASA is researching plants at the gene, protein, and metabolite level in space. A key question they want to answer is the relationship between microgravity and plant lignin content. NASA believes this science information will guide strategies for deep space exploration and colonization.

In conclusion, growing food in space is critical for long-duration space missions and colonies on the Moon or Mars. Controlled Environmental Agriculture is already taking place in orbit, with scientists looking towards creating bioregenerative life support systems. While hydroponics can create a sustainable environment inside spacecraft, growing crops in lunar soil can provide an additional source of food for the astronauts. These methods can make long-duration space missions and colonies more sustainable, cost-effective, and independent.

Author: Stella Luna