Australian students experiment with ‘space vegetables’ as part of NASA initiative

A pink glow illuminates the faces of enthusiastic students as they tend to plants in specially built growing boxes on space stations.

These students are the first in Australia to experience It grows outside the Earth – a school-based citizen science program run by NASA and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in the United States.

In Australia, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria is working with La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food and Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools. The educational initiative is embedded in the Australian curriculum and gives students a unique introduction to horticulture through science.

In this project, students grow plants in controlled conditions to see if they are suitable for NASA missions that will lend a hand feed a future corps of astronauts.

Plants evolved on Earth, so they may not grow as well in space. Before we start sending plants “off-world” to the Moon and Mars, we need to test their viability. That way, we can choose the best ones that will succeed.

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Read more: Humans Are Returning to the Moon and Beyond – But How to Feed Them?

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Gardening on the Moon and Beyond

This NASA Artemis The mission aims to establish a long-term presence on the Moon and send astronauts to Mars. If all goes according to plan, humans will live and work on the Moon by 2030.

Currently, astronauts on the International Space Station rely on a packaged diet that is frequently supplemented. In the long term, however, space gardens that provide fresh, edible plants will be crucial to astronaut health and well-being.

In the Growing Beyond Earth project, students are building a “growth habitat” in a box about the size of a vast microwave oven, equipped with LEDs and sensors.

They then plant the seeds of a leafy plant called mysomel, which grows reliably and quickly—both on Earth and off.

Students gain valuable experience conducting their own experiments, including planting seeds in pots and using growing media compatible with the NASA vegetable production system (A vegetable).

They monitor growth and water usage, taking notes on plant size, color, and health. Students learn what plants need, how brisk they can grow, what can be recycled, and how much can be harvested. And would anyone want to eat it?

Students can expand their skills in a second experiment to test other types of plants. Almost 200 plants have been tested so far and several up-to-date candidate plants, including pak choi, cress and kale, have been identified as suitable.

Supporting the curriculum and connecting with nature

Growing Beyond Earth connects with the Australian Curriculum through ‘science as a human endeavor.’ This refers to the role of science in society, including how scientific knowledge impacts people’s lives and can be used to make decisions.

There is growing evidence that activity-based, student-led projects lead to better academic results. When students are exposed to real-world content, they remember it better, get better grades, and develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These students can then apply their knowledge to up-to-date situations.

Another crucial part of the project is the connection with plants and nature. The positive impact of nature on well-being has come to the fore during COVID lockdowns. Studies show that houseplants have helped reduce mental stress during isolationand people I chose the garden to connect with nature, relieve stress and solve food supply problems.

Nature also has a robust influence on student learning. Greater academic achievement and personal growth result from connecting with the environment. For example, students in classrooms that have a view of nature report lower stress levels and better results in concentration tests compared to rooms without windows.

Better learning can also simply be a result of being in a good mood. Students are more interested and motivated during nature-based activities. This finding has very real implications for students who are typically disengaged.
Time spent in nature also has a greater impact on how we perceive the environment than knowledge about conservation alone. Just knowing that climate change is contributing to species loss is less likely to inspire conservation action than frequently observing environmental changes during time spent outdoors.

Emotional connection with nature promotes interest in science about sustainable development and care for natural resources.

Exploring an electrifying up-to-date frontier

The impact of Growing Beyond Earth on students’ attitudes toward gardens, the environment, and food is still being evaluated. As the program expands to more countries, it will track student achievement, career paths, and leadership.

Research to date shows that Growing Beyond Earth students have increased knowledge and confidence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) topics and related careers.

These students could play a key role in building future crop production systems on Mars, designing space plants for food and medicine, and using nature to improve the well-being of people experiencing isolation.