NASA is cultivating in space itself, despite not having an environment like Earth. The space agency has also found out the effective way of giving water and air to the plants.
Astronaut Mike Hopkins working on ISS with PWM Hydrophonics Test Sales, photo- NASA
Space Farming by NASA on ISS: Whenever we talk about traveling in space, the first thing that comes to mind is related to food. While going on such a journey, the astronauts take dry food with them (Space Farming Concept). Since it has to stay in space for months, food also has to be transported in large numbers, which increases the weight of the spacecraft. The animals or plants found on the earth, they do not even have any sign of space. Now to solve this problem, the US space agency NASA has decided to do farming in space.
NASA, despite having no environment like earth, is going to cultivate in space itself. The space agency has also found out the effective way of giving water and air to the plants, which will help them to grow. Preparations have been started to grow plants at the International Space Station under NASA’s Glance Plant Water Management (PWM) project. A research is also being done regarding this. In a NASA press release, PWM program scientist Taylor Hatch has said, “NASA research in the past has shown that the development of plants in space will be quite beneficial as a food source.”
No problem of gravity
However, growing plants here is not as easy as it is understood. According to Taylor, this is currently possible only from the perspective of gardening. But the biggest problem is the absence of gravity, due to which the way the roots of the plant grow on the earth, they will not be able to grow in space like that (Challenges of Space Farming). With this, it will also be a challenge to provide air and water to the plant. Currently, Taylor Hatch’s team is working on two such methods to water the plant, which will work even if there is no earth-like environment. The first method is traditional, in which soil will be used and water will be poured into the soil itself.
Another way is hydrofonics
While the soil will not be used in other ways. Plants will remain in water for the entire time without the presence of soil. This method is known as hydrophonics. The elements that the plant needs will be present in the form of liquid in the manner of basic farming on water (Space Farming Concept). After which the plant will be able to survive in it. Astronauts have also conducted an experiment on it with the help of artificial plants in the ISS. In this, the plant was given sugar and fruit nutrients. Collected data related to it. This is considered to be a very effective method.
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