Space Farming: Revolutionizing Food for Earth & Beyond

Good morning, readers!

As space exploration advances, one of the most critical challenges we face is sustaining life beyond Earth.

A key part of that challenge is developing systems to grow food in space. NASA, along with various public and private organizations, has been at the forefront of this research, particularly through experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

These efforts are not only essential for future space missions but also hold potential benefits for improving agricultural practices on Earth. In this newsletter, we’ll take a closer look at the exciting progress in space farming, the challenges of growing plants in microgravity, and how these innovations might reshape agriculture on our home planet.

What We Are Covering Today?

1. Introducing The Current Work

2. From a Basic Concept To Today’s Complexity

3. The Challenges Of Space Farming

4. Looking At The Innovation Required For Indoor Farming To Work

5. The Broader Impact On Earth & Beyond

6. Concluding Notes

7. What We Are Reading & Listening To

Estimated Reading Time 6-7 minutes

Special thanks to Jen Bromley, Chief Science Officer at Vertical Future and lead on the UK Space Agency Project “Autonomous Agriculture for Space Exploration”, for her valuable input.

INTRODUCTION
Introducing The Current Work

As space exploration advances, one of the growing challenges is sustaining life beyond Earth. A critical aspect of this challenge is developing methods to grow food in space. Over the years, there has been steady progress in this area, particularly through the efforts of NASA. Early experiments, such as those using the VEGGIE and Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) facilities on the International Space Station (ISS), have provided valuable insights, though they are still in the developmental stage.

Currently, both public and private organizations are working to advance space farming technology. These efforts are crucial not only for future space missions but also for exploring innovative ways to improve agricultural practices on Earth. As this field evolves, it's essential to examine the innovations being introduced, the unique challenges posed by growing plants in microgravity, and the potential impacts on both space exploration and Earth’s food production systems.

THE EVOLUTION
From a Basic Concept To Today’s Complexity

The concept of growing plants in space has been explored for decades, with NASA leading much of this research. What began as basic experiments has evolved into more complex systems aimed at supporting long-term missions. One of the most recognized initiatives is the Veggie unit, a plant growth facility onboard the ISS, launched in 2014. In 2016 the Veggie-3 experiments (VEG-03 A,B,C,D) grew "outredgeous" red romaine lettuce, Tokyo Bekana Chinese cabbage, Mizuna mustard and Waldmann's Green lettuce. It’s not just about food production; it also plays a psychological role for the crew. As Jen Bromley, Chief Science Officer at Vertical Future, explained, “Veggie has been pretty successful in growing crops. It’s also a great source of mental health benefits for the astronauts, as they can see and tend to the plants.”

In addition to Veggie, NASA developed the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH), a more controlled environment that allows for precise scientific experiments. “It’s a lot more environmentally contained, which means there’s greater levels of control, but it also means there’s greater levels of maintenance,” Bromley noted. While these systems have provided valuable data, they remain limited in scale. As Bromley pointed out, “You’re looking at maybe six lettuces you can grow at the same time, so it’s not at a scale to feed people consistently.”

As researchers continue to gain insights from these experiments, the focus is shifting towards scaling up space farming to meet the needs of future missions. Bromley emphasized this shift: “We need things to be much more automated and self-regulating...which means that you're going to have a much-reduced level of astronaut interaction. Astronauts already have much work to do, meaning that scaling should be achieved without increasing the workload.”

CHALLENGES
The Challenges Of Space Farming

It goes without saying that space farming presents unique challenges compared to traditional Earth-based agriculture (duh). The microgravity environment, limited resources, and confined spaces of space stations all contribute to these difficulties.

Microgravity Effects

Microgravity significantly impacts how water and nutrients are delivered to plants. On Earth, gravity naturally pulls water downward, helping it soak into the soil and reach plant roots. In space, however, water tends to form floating blobs due to surface tension, which complicates the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the roots. “Surface tension becomes your most critical force rather than gravity when it comes to holding water together...The danger is that the root becomes like a wick, completely saturated in water, and then it becomes an anoxic environment, the cells perish, and you get root rot,” Bromley explained.

Resource Constraints

Another significant challenge is the limited availability of space and resources on space stations. The physical space available for growing crops is minimal, and the energy and water needed to sustain these plants are also in short supply. “In space, every resource, from water to light, must be used as efficiently as possible. This necessity drives the development of innovative solutions to maximize productivity within the constraints of space-based environments. The ultimate goal is to create systems that can grow enough food to supplement the astronauts' diet without requiring them to spend excessive time managing crops,” Bromley remarked.

Adapting to Microgravity

Plants have evolved over millions of years to grow under Earth’s gravity, so adapting them to space involves overcoming several physiological challenges. Without gravity to guide them, plant roots struggle to grow in the right direction. “In a microgravity environment, the roots kind of twist...you kind of get a corkscrewing behavious of the roots,” Bromley noted. This corkscrew effect can impact the plant's ability to absorb nutrients and water effectively.

TECHNOLOGY
Looking At The Innovation Required For Indoor Farming To Work

Automation and Vertical Farming

Automation is key to reducing the need for human intervention in space farming. Given the high value of astronaut time, systems that can operate independently are essential. Vertical farming, which stacks crops in layers to maximize space, is another critical innovation. This method is particularly well-suited for the confined spaces of space stations. Vertical Future is working on systems that are both space- and resource-efficient. “Our vertical farming technology is allowing automation and that self-regulation to kick in,” Bromley said.

Innovations in Crop Production

Space farming also necessitates innovations in crop production techniques. For example, researchers are exploring how to grow crops with restricted root zones while ensuring they still receive the necessary nutrients and water. This approach is not only relevant to space but also to vertical farming on Earth, where maximizing yield in limited space is critical. Bromley mentioned, “If you’re able to contain the roots, and give them everything that they need, then they won’t start to explore the wider volume of substrate...It’s the same concept in vertical farming.”

LOOKING AT THE CONTROVERSY
The Broader Impact On Earth & Beyond

From Space to Earth

Interestingly, the constraints of space farming are driving the development of technologies that can also benefit Earth-based agriculture. For instance, optimizing resource use in space has led to advancements that can be applied to vertical farming, especially regarding the energy consumption. “By having these massive constraints, what that does is drive the technology development, which we can then deploy on Earth,” Bromley explained. “For example, water, energy, and nutrient use efficiency developed for space farming are being adapted to vertical farms, making them more productive and environmentally friendly.”

Future of Space Exploration

As humanity looks to establish a presence on the Moon, Mars, and beyond, the ability to grow food in space becomes increasingly critical. The insights gained from current space farming experiments are informing the development of systems that could support long-duration space missions. Bromley outlined the vision: “We’re initially thinking about our timeline plans from ow Earth Orbits...and then we’re thinking about beyond that, deep space travel. How do you feed people all the way to Mars?”

The long-term goal is to create self-sustaining food production systems that can operate on the Moon, Mars, and during deep space missions. These systems will need to be highly automated, resource-efficient, and capable of producing a variety of crops to meet the nutritional needs of astronauts over extended periods.

LOOKING AHEAD
Concluding Notes

Space farming represents a significant frontier in agricultural innovation with profound implications for both space exploration and Earth-based food production. The unique challenges of growing food in space—such as microgravity, limited resources, and the need for automation—are driving advancements that could make agriculture more sustainable and efficient on our planet.

As public and private partnerships continue to explore new possibilities, space farming stands to transform both space exploration and terrestrial agriculture, paving the way for a more sustainable future.

SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
What We Are Reading & Listening To