Crops in Space - Astroculture for Earth and Deep Space Travel

Crops in Space? Absolutely… especially if people are to travel for months and years to other worlds and systems. It would be impossible, for instance, to send along enough food and water for a team of space explorers on a mission to Mars. The reality is food and water production over a full life cycle is essential for extended space exploration.

But more importantly, space offers extraordinary possibilities for increasing the yield and vitality of food production on Earth and for the generation of self-sustaining life support systems wherever people may live.

Astronauts have been trying to grow plants in space since the early days of space exploration. When the Apollo astronauts explored the Moon, scientists attempted to grow seeds in the lunar soil that was returned to Earth. But with the establishment of the Russian space station Mir (which was de-orbited in 2001) and the International Space Station (currently active) , agriculture in space took on new dimensions. NASA has trademarked it as Astroculture.

Despite all of Mir’s technical challenges, the space station delivered the first wheat crop ever grown and harvested in space, thanks to a special Bulgarian-built greenhouse that created the right conditions for growth. Thus, a new age of food production in space was born, and scientists began to see how space technology can positively impact many of Earth’s environmental problems.The lack of gravity — essential for plants to develop strong rooting, sunlight, available nutrients, insects (for cross pollination), controlled climate and clean water are all challenges for astroculture. Bioregenerative support systems takes all of these vital elements into consideration.

First of all, humans and plants are ideal companions in space and on Earth. People breathe air and produce carbon dioxide, and plants consume the carbon dioxide to produce oxygen. Humans can also consume edible plants or plant parts for sustenance. This produces waste by-products which can be broken down to supply nourishment for plants.

Given this unique relationship between plants and humans, all that is left for consideration is the supply of energy, regeneration of clean water and the effect of gravity to make it all work. Energy, which must be highly efficient, is provided in the form of light. And clean water comes from re-occurring and self-sustaining natural cleaning and filtration systems inherent to regenerative life support systems.

The creation of microgravity systems, which would be developed for long-term piloted missions to Mars and other places, would provide the gravitational effects needed for healthy plant growth.

Simply put, if we can sustain food production in space, then we can sustain human life anywhere in the universe. Plants, like all living things, depend on nourishment and the right living conditions in order to grow. And with a burgeoning population on Earth, astroculture benefits will help us better provide food, sustenance and the required healthy ecosystems essential to promoting public health.