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Space Gardening

All articles tagged with #space gardening

science7 months ago•8 min saved

Orbiting Gardens: The Future of Space Agriculture

A project called Space Garden aims to send a full-sized, plant-filled greenhouse into low Earth orbit within 5-7 years to reimagine life in space, enhance astronaut well-being, and explore off-world agriculture, building on decades of plant experiments in space. The design includes aesthetic and cultural plant species, with research indicating plants can survive space conditions, though water management and long-term growth remain challenges. The initiative seeks to make space gardening more practical and inspiring for future space exploration.

via WIRED|

#off-world-agriculture #plants-in-space #science

space2 years ago•2 min saved

Lost Tomato Found: NASA's Discovery of a Space-Stranded Tomato

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio's long-lost space tomatoes, which were misplaced on the International Space Station for 8 months, have been found slightly discolored and dehydrated but with no visible microbial or fungal growth. The tomatoes were part of NASA's VEG-05 project to study crop growth in space and were grown on the space station's vegetable facility. Rubio was accused of eating the tomatoes but was vindicated after they were discovered. The tomatoes will not be returning to Earth, but plant research continues on the space station to assess genetic adaptions in plants grown in space and their transferability to future generations. Space gardening has psychological benefits for astronauts, including increased quality of life and morale.

via Business Insider|

#international-space-station #nasa #plant-research