NASA enters joint agreement to advance research on growing crops in space

NASA is collaborating with international researchers to begin a joint effort to work on the Lunar Agriculture Module-Ground Test Demonstrator. The aim of the research is to develop technologies to grow crops in space and understand how plants perform under anticipated during Moon Base Missions. 

The joint effort includes NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center. The research teams will focus on learning how crops grow in outer space so they can provide nutrition to crews in deep space, absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen and recycle water. 

The joint project goals include building infrastructure that supports crop growth near the Moon’s South Pole supporting an “enduring human presence while preparing for future human missions to Mars,” according to the release.