Scientists are exploring ways of growing plants to support long-term human life on the Moon and Mars. These innovations could also improve sustainable food production on Earth.
A team of forty researchers from multiple countries and space agencies has outlined a roadmap for plant science breakthroughs. The goal is to create self-sustaining, plant-based life-support systems for deep space missions, according to a media release from Australia’s University of Melbourne.
The study, published in New Phytologist, highlights that future missions will require systems capable of growing fresh food, recycling air and water, and supporting astronaut health. Plants will play a key role in creating a safe and sustainable space environment.
To guide these efforts, scientists introduced the Bioregenerative Life Support System Readiness Level framework. This framework measures how effectively plants can function in space habitats. It focuses on recycling nutrients, purifying water, generating oxygen, and providing essential nutrition.
Recent advancements in crop science are central to this project. Technologies such as synthetic biology, precision sensing, and controlled-environment agriculture will help in growing plants efficiently in space.
The roadmap will also inform NASA’s Artemis III mission in 2027, which plans to return humans to the Moon. This mission will include the Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora experiment, marking the first effort to grow plants on the Moon and bring them back to Earth.
Associate Professor Sigfredo Fuentes from the University of Melbourne said that designing plant systems for space can improve Earth agriculture. “Space pushes us to design plant systems that are highly efficient, resilient, and precisely monitored,” he explained. He added that these technologies can support growing plants sustainably in drought-prone regions, urban areas, and remote communities.
Researchers hope that insights from growing plants in lunar and Martian conditions will not only advance space exploration but also help tackle global food security challenges on Earth.
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