With the cooperation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), technologies that can grow the nutrients needed for space missions have been tested in a greenhouse in Antarctica for 4 years.
A wide variety of plants were produced this year in the greenhouse called EDEN ISS, which is part of Neumayer Station III, the research station of the German Aerospace Center in Antarctica. Producing abundant greens, vegetables and spices without soil and natural light holds promise for future space missions.
First crops grown in greenhouse this year were harvested
In the space greenhouse, plants are grown completely without soil and with a technique called “aeroponics”. In this technique, the nutrients needed by the plants suspended in the air are transferred to the roots of the plants by spraying a rich solution. The greenhouse is completely artificially illuminated as it must also work during the nine weeks of total darkness of the Antarctic winter. NASA scientist Jess Bunchek, who was assigned to the station this year, planted a variety of vegetables and greens in a high-tech greenhouse designed to test technologies that could one day feed explorers on the Moon and Mars. This year broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, chard, pepper, tomato, cucumber, lettuce and various spices were produced. Bunchek collected some of the crops grown in the greenhouse.
Daniel Schubert, EDEN ISS project leader of the German Aerospace Center, said: “We have never been able to grow so many different types of vegetables and herbs with the EDEN ISS before. “I hope by 2030 we will have a ready-to-use design to build a real moon greenhouse.” “The crops have grown very well so far,” said NASA botanist Jess Bunches. The EDEN ISS is unique and eye-opening in this respect. “We collect data on essential conditions such as system performance, plant health and production, environment and plant microbiology, food safety, nutrition, team psychology, power and water.”
Bunchek, who has been at Neumayer III Station for nearly a year, said: “We have to recognize that as in agriculture, weather and climate are determining factors. But whether it’s a team in space or communities working on climate change, learning how we can use technology to thrive in extreme conditions. I’m here for it,” he said. Bunchek also underlined that the technology could also be used in urban greenhouses and vertical farms in the future to help increase agricultural productivity around the world.
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