Our World: Systems to Grow Plants in Space
No matter where plants grow, they have the same basic needs: water, nutrients, light, temperature, and atmosphere. No matter where humans may live, they need plants. Dr. Gioia Massa explains how NASA grows plants on the International Space Station in preparation for growing plants beyond Earth and, someday, on the Moon and Mars. Jacob Torres describes the hardware needed to provide open and closed systems for plant growth in space. This video shows how NASA scientists and engineers work together to learn more about ways plants live, grow, and adapt to varying environments.
Discussion and Writing Prompts:
1. Growing plants in space requires many parts to work together, including light, water, air, nutrients, temperature, and growing media. Why is it important to think of a plant-growing system as a collection of interconnected parts rather than focusing on just one component? Choose one part of the system and explain what might happen if it failed. How would that affect the rest of the system?
2. Plants do not grow in space the same way they do on Earth. What challenges do astronauts face when growing plants in microgravity, and how do engineers design systems to overcome those challenges? Design your own plant-growing system for a mission to the Moon or Mars. Describe the features it would need and explain how each one would help plants survive and thrive.
3. Plants can provide astronauts with more than just food. Based on the video, what other benefits might plants provide during long-duration space missions, and why are those benefits important? How might caring for plants affect daily life, health, and the success of a mission (include both practical and personal benefits).
Background Information
Grades 3 through 12
- NASA eClips Ask SME: Life Sciences Project Scientist Dr. Gioia Massa (video)
- NASA eClips Ask SME: Technical & Horticultural Scientist Jacob Torres (video)
Grades 4 through 12
- Genes in Space Dr. Gioia Massa - Fresh Food for the Ride to Space (video)
Grades 5 through 12
- Astro Science Journal for Teens Can we grow safe and nutritious food in space? (webpage)
- NASA Growing Plants in Space (webpage)
- NASA Station Science 101: Plant Research (webpage)
Grades 6 through 12
- NASA NASA at Home Spaceport Series Episode Five: Growing Plants in Space (video)
- NASA Pick-and-eat Salad-crop Productivity, Nutritional Value, and Acceptability to Supplement the ISS Food System (Veg-05) (webpage)
- NASA Sowing the Seeds of Future Space Travel (webpage)
- NASA The Veggie Vegetable Production System on the ISS (video)
- NASAVeggie Fact Sheet (pdf)
- NASA Veggie Plant Growth System Activated on International Space Station (webpage)
Activities
Grades K through 8
- NASA How Does Your Garden Grow? (webpage)
Grades 3 through 8
- NASA eClips Real World: The LIght Plants Need (pdf)
- NASA Moon Munchies Educator Guide (pdf)
Grades 3 through 12
- NASA eClips Plant Growth Habitat Engineering Design Challenge (pdf)
Grades 5 through 8
- NASA Lunar Plant Growth Chamber (pdf)
Grades 6 through 12
- Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens Growing Beyond Earth (webpage)
Grades 9 through 12
- Exploratorium Vegetable Revival (webpage)