plant experiments in space

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Why NASA's Sunita Williams Is Growing Lettuce In Space

Sunita williams is growing "outredgeous" romaine lettuce in microgravity, a study that promises significant benefits for space missions and earth-based agriculture..

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, aboard the International Space Station (ISS), is leading an innovative agricultural experiment. She is growing "Outredgeous" romaine lettuce in microgravity, a study that promises significant benefits for space missions and Earth-based agriculture.

The experiment, known as Plant Habitat-07, is designed to explore how varying levels of water availability influence plant growth in space.

Its primary objectives are optimising plant cultivation techniques for deep-space missions and developing sustainable farming solutions for water-scarce regions on Earth.

This study involves analysing growth rates, nutritional content, and the overall health of lettuce grown in microgravity. By addressing these parameters, the research aims to support NASA's goal of establishing self-sustaining life-support systems for space exploration.

As the lead scientist, Ms Williams has set up the experiment by collecting baseline water samples from the Advanced Plant Habitat's distribution reservoir and installing the Plant Habitat-07 science carrier, which serves as the cultivation chamber for the lettuce.

The implications of this lettuce experiment extend beyond space exploration. For space missions, the research helps reduce reliance on costly resupply missions, ensures astronauts have access to fresh food, and boosts their psychological well-being by allowing them to grow and eat fresh produce. On Earth, the findings could inform water-efficient farming practices in drought-prone areas, improve crop yields with fewer resources, and promote sustainable food production worldwide.

NASA's plant experiments in space have evolved over time, and the Advanced Plant Habitat aboard the ISS provides an advanced platform for these studies. Ms Williams' work builds on past successes, helpful for future innovations that can benefit both space exploration and Earth-based agriculture.

Apart from her agricultural work, Ms Williams contributes to various health studies aboard the ISS. Recently, she supported fellow astronaut Tyler Hague with vascular health monitoring, showcasing the diverse responsibilities astronauts manage during long missions.

The data gathered from this experiment will contribute to NASA's mission of creating self-sustaining habitats for future long-term space missions. It will also provide valuable insights that can help address global food security challenges.

Ms Williams' ongoing mission began on June 5 alongside astronaut Butch Wilmore on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. She is engaged in routine maintenance tasks and scientific experiments aboard the ISS. Originally planned for an eight-day stay, the mission was extended due to technical issues with the spacecraft's service module.

She will now remain on the ISS until February 2025 and return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. She has taken command of the ISS for the second time in her career.

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• Astronaut Sunita Williams is conducting an experiment on the International Space Station (ISS) to grow lettuce in microgravity.
• The study aims to enhance plant cultivation techniques for deep-space missions and develop sustainable farming solutions for Earth's water-scarce regions.
• The results could reduce the need for costly resupply missions in space, provide fresh food for astronauts, and promote water-efficient farming on Earth.

Can we grow veggies in space? Sunita Williams begins experiment

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who is currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) , is leading a one-of-a-kind agricultural experiment. She is growing "Outredgeous" romaine lettuce in microgravity. The study, called Plant Habitat-07, seeks to explore how different levels of water affect plant growth in space. The results could prove to be extremely beneficial for future space missions as well as agriculture on Earth.

The experiment's objectives and setup

The main objectives of Plant Habitat-07 are to improve plant cultivation techniques for deep-space missions and create sustainable farming solutions for water-scarce areas on Earth. The study will look at growth rates, nutritional content, and overall health of lettuce grown in microgravity. Williams has started the experiment by collecting baseline water samples from the Advanced Plant Habitat's distribution reservoir. She also installed the Plant Habitat-07 science carrier that acts as a cultivation chamber for the lettuce.

Implications for space missions and Earth's agriculture

The implications of the lettuce experiment go beyond space exploration. For space missions, it could cut down on expensive resupply missions, ensure astronauts have access to fresh food, and improve their psychological well-being by letting them grow and eat fresh produce. On Earth, the findings could lead to water-efficient farming practices in drought-prone areas, improve crop yields with less, and promote sustainable food production globally.

Williams's other contributions aboard the ISS

Apart from her farming, Williams is also working on several health studies on the ISS. She recently helped fellow astronaut Tyler Hague with vascular health monitoring, highlighting the wide range of duties astronauts perform on long missions. The data from this experiment will aid NASA's mission of developing self-sustaining habitats for future long-term space missions. It will also offer valuable insights to tackle global food security issues.

Williams's extended stay and return journey

Williams's current mission started on June 5 with astronaut Butch Wilmore on Boeing 's Starliner spacecraft. She is performing routine maintenance work and scientific experiments on the ISS. While the mission was originally scheduled for an eight-day stay, it was extended due to technical issues with the spacecraft's service module. She will now stay on the ISS until February 2025 and return to Earth on SpaceX Dragon.

Artemis astronauts will carry plants to the moon in 2026

A plant-growth study is one of three experiments that the Artemis 3 astronauts are expected to deploy on the lunar surface.

The first astronauts to land on the moon in more than half a century will set up a lunar mini-greenhouse, if all goes according to plan.

NASA has selected the first three science experiments to be deployed by astronauts on the moon's surface on the Artemis 3 mission in 2026. Among them is LEAF ("Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora"), which will study how space crops fare in the exotic lunar environment.

"LEAF will be the first experiment to observe plant photosynthesis, growth and systemic stress responses in space-radiation and partial gravity," NASA officials wrote in a statement Tuesday (March 26) announcing the selection of the three experiments.  

"Plant growth and development data, along with environmental parameters measured by LEAF, will help scientists understand the use of plants grown on the moon for both human nutrition and life support on the moon and beyond," they added.

• NASA taps SpaceX for 2nd astronaut moon landing with Starship
• NASA wants another moon lander for Artemis astronauts, not just SpaceX's Starship

The LEAF subjects won't be the first-ever flora on the moon; China sent cotton plants to the lunar far side on its robotic Chang'e 4 mission in January 2019.

Related: NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know

The other two newly selected experiments are the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) and the Lunar Dielectric Analyzer (LDA).

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LEMS is a suite of autonomous seismometers that will hunt for moonquakes for up to two years after deployment. It "will characterize the regional structure of the moon's crust and mantle, which will add valuable information to lunar formation and evolution models," NASA officials wrote in Tuesday's statement.

LDA, meanwhile, will measure the ability of lunar regolith — the moon's top layer of dust and gravel — to propagate an electric field. The instrument "will gather essential information about the structure of the moon's subsurface, monitor dielectric changes caused by the changing angle of the sun as the moon rotates and look for possible frost formation or ice deposits," agency officials wrote. 

The instruments will be deployed near the moon's south pole, a region thought to be rich in water ice that could support one or more crewed outposts. The exact location is not yet known; NASA has not announced a final landing site for the Artemis 3 mission, which will use SpaceX's Starship vehicle to get astronauts from lunar orbit down to the surface and back again. (They'll get to lunar orbit via the agency's Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule.)

And there's no guarantee that LEAF, LEMS and LDA will fly on Artemis 3. That's the current plan, but "final manifesting decisions about the mission will be determined at a later date," NASA officials wrote in Tuesday's update.

 — Astronauts might be able to grow plants on the moon, thanks to a few Earth microbes

 — Astronauts won't walk on the moon until 2026 after NASA delays next 2 Artemis missions

—  US must beat China back to the moon, Congress tells NASA  

The Artemis 3 crew has not yet been announced, though NASA has said the mission will land a woman and a person of color on the moon for the first time ever.

Artemis 3 will be the first crewed mission to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in December 1972. Artemis 3's predecessor, Artemis 2 , will send four astronauts around the moon and back to Earth in late 2025, if all goes according to plan. 

The month-long Artemis 1 , a successful uncrewed mission to lunar orbit and back, launched in November 2022.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with  Space.com  and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

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• jan.wolitzky Care to stand behind your reporting? I'm willing to bet that Artemis astronauts will NOT carry plants to the moon in 2026, because Artemis 3 (or, at least, its lander) won't be ready to fly by then. Even the Government Accountability Office says so. Reply
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C4 Photosynthesis in Space Advanced Plant Experiment-9 (APEX-9)

Science objectives.

C4 Photosynthesis in Space (C4 Space) (Advanced Plant Experiment-09 or APEX-09) examines the carbon dioxide capture mechanisms of two types of grasses,  Brachypodium distachyon  and  Setaria viridis.   Results could show how photosynthesis and overall plant metabolism change in space. This knowledge could support development of ways to use carbon metabolizing plants in bioregenerative life support systems on future missions.

Experiment launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on the NG-21 Commercial Resupply Service mission in August 2024.

Experiment Description

C4 Photosynthesis in Space (C4 Space) (APEX-09) examines how microgravity affects C3 and C4 plant metabolism. Plants capture atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and convert it into oxygen (O 2 ) and sugars through photosynthesis. C3 and C4 plants have two different CO 2 -concentrating mechanisms. The APEX-09 investigation seeks to compare the impact of conditions aboard the International Space Station on C3 and C4 metabolism using  Brachypodium distachyon , a C3 model grass, and  Setaria viridis , a C4 model grass. Results from this investigation provide the research team with a better understanding of the C3 and C4 metabolic reprogramming occurring in space environments as compared to on Earth.

Additionally, APEX-09 supports NASA’s efforts for evaluating the potential of growing small-stature cereal and vegetable crops for bio-generative support during future deep space exploration missions.

Space Applications

Results from this investigation provide fundamental insight into plant metabolism in space and could increase understanding of how carbon-fixing plants may be used in bioregenerative life support systems for future space exploration missions.

Earth Applications

This investigation provides fundamental insights into photosynthesis and carbon metabolism in space, knowledge that could expand and improve the uses of these plants on Earth.

Related Links

Space Station Research Explorer