Can You Grow PLANTS in SPACE? — Ep. 363

Summary

В этом видео рассматривается захватывающая тема выращивания растений в космосе для питания астронавтов. Вдохновленные словами Джеймса Кирка и Жана-Люка Пикарда о космосе как о последнем рубеже, ведущий обсуждает, как выращивание свежих овощей в космосе может изменить космические путешествия. Рассказывается о впечатлениях астронавта Леланда Мелвина о еде в космосе и сотрудничестве сада Фэрчайлд и НАСА в программе 'Growing Beyond Earth'. Программа вовлекает школьников из более чем 40 штатов в исследования, чтобы найти наилучшие техники выращивания и виды растений для космических станций, открывая новые горизонты в космической агрокультуре и образовании.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Космос - это последний рубеж для выращивания растений, особенно важно для астронавтов, которым не хватает свежих овощей.
• 👩‍🚀 Опыт совместного приема пищи астронавтов на орбите укрепляет международное сотрудничество и символизирует мирное взаимодействие.
• 🌱 Программа 'Growing Beyond Earth' - это сотрудничество между Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden и NASA для исследования подходящих растений для выращивания в космосе.
• 🏫 Проект вовлекает тысячи учеников средних и старших школ по всей стране в научные эксперименты и гражданскую науку.
• 📚 Цель проекта - исследовать различные виды растений и техники выращивания, которые могли бы подойти для космических станций.
• 🌿 Выяснено, что свежие овощи важны не только для питания астронавтов, но и для их морального состояния.
• 🔬 Учащиеся исследуют разнообразие растений, а также условия их выращивания, что помогает NASA в выборе лучших культур для космических миссий.
• 💡 Одно из наиболее успешных растений - это экстра-карликовый пак-чой, который хорошо адаптирован к условиям космической станции.
• 🔧 Технические проблемы, такие как доставка воды и света к растениям в условиях невесомости, являются ключевыми задачами исследования.
• 🌐 Результаты исследований публикуются на сайте Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden и в социальных сетях, делая их доступными для широкой публики.

Q & A

Какую роль играют свежие овощи в питании астронавтов в космосе?

Свежие овощи очень важны для астронавтов, так как они скучают по ним больше всего, питаясь замороженными или сублимированными продуктами. Овощи также важны для обеспечения витамина К, который сложно доставить в космос в сохраненных продуктах.

Что такое программа 'Growing Beyond Earth'?

Это сотрудничество между ботаническим садом Фэйрчайлд и NASA, направленное на исследование того, какие техники выращивания и виды растений лучше всего подходят для культивирования в космических условиях.

Какие проблемы существуют при выращивании растений в космосе?

В космосе отсутствует гравитация, что создает проблемы с циркуляцией воздуха и доставкой воды к растениям. Также необходимо использовать искусственное освещение из-за отсутствия солнечного света.

Как решается проблема доставки воды к растениям в условиях невесомости?

Используются различные методы и материалы для доставки воды к растениям без рассеивания, включая материалы, которые поглощают и распределяют воду.

Почему выбор подходящих культур важен для выращивания растений в космосе?

Подходящие культуры могут эффективно расти в ограниченном пространстве и условиях космоса, обеспечивая астронавтов свежими продуктами и необходимыми питательными веществами.

Какой овощ показал хорошие результаты в программе, проводимой студентами?

Экстра-карликовый бок чой показал хорошие результаты, так как он компактен и хорошо растет в различных условиях.

Как учащиеся участвуют в программе 'Growing Beyond Earth'?

Студенты из разных школ по всей стране проводят эксперименты по выращиванию растений, собирают данные и делятся ими с NASA, что позволяет тестировать большое разнообразие культур.

Какова роль искусственного освещения при выращивании растений в космосе?

Искусственное освещение компенсирует отсутствие солнечного света, обеспечивая растениям необходимый световой спектр для фотосинтеза.

Почему некоторые растения, как бок чой, не требуют микоризы даже в естественных условиях?

Растения семейства капустных, к которым относится бок чой, способны образовывать многочисленные тонкие корни и эффективно усваивать питательные вещества без формирования микоризных ассоциаций.

Как проект 'Growing Beyond Earth' влияет на образование студентов?

Проект вдохновляет студентов на изучение сельскохозяйственных наук и биологии, предоставляя им возможность проводить реальные эксперименты и взаимодействовать с учеными NASA.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 Space Exploration and Plant Growth

The paragraph discusses the challenges and experiences of growing plants in space, as shared by retired astronaut Leland Melvin. It highlights the symbolic meal he had with international astronauts, the importance of fresh vegetables in space, and the dehydrated food astronauts typically consume. The conversation transitions to the Growing Beyond Earth program, a collaboration between Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and NASA, which involves schools across the United States in testing various plants for space cultivation.

05:00

🌱 The Quest for Space-Friendly Vegetables

This paragraph delves into the specifics of growing vegetables in space, considering factors like space limitations, gravity, air circulation, and water delivery. It mentions the Veggie chambers used on the International Space Station and the importance of artificial light. The discussion also touches on the challenges of evapotranspiration in zero gravity and the need for a sterile growing environment. The paragraph highlights the success of extra dwarf bok choy as a suitable plant for space and its potential applications on Earth.

10:02

🌿 Nutrient Management in Space

The focus of this paragraph is on the nutrient management for plants in space. It explains that seeds are sterilized before being sent to space to avoid introducing microorganisms. The plants do not require a complex soil ecology, and the Brassica family, including bok choy, is highlighted for its ability to grow without a need for mycorrhizal fungi. The paragraph also describes the artificial, sterile soil used for plant growth, which includes peat-based soil, coconut coir, and a clay material that provides a stable growing medium.

15:03

🚀 Student Innovations in Space Horticulture

This paragraph showcases the involvement of students in the Growing Beyond Earth program, where they use tools like 3D printers and laser engravers to innovate ways to grow plants in space. It mentions the challenges of delivering light and water evenly to plants and the potential for continuous harvesting of leafy vegetables. The paragraph also discusses the educational aspect of the program, with students interacting with NASA scientists and sharing data through social media.

20:05

🌟 Engaging the Global Community

The final paragraph invites the global community to share their thoughts on which edible plants would be best for growing in a space station. It suggests microgreens like sunflower, bok choy, and mustard greens as potential candidates due to their quick growth and nutrient value. The paragraph also promotes online house plant courses and mentions the sister channel, Flock Fingerlakes, for further exploration.

Keywords

💡space exploration

Space exploration refers to the ongoing discovery and study of celestial objects, space travel, and the development of related technology. In the video, it is highlighted by the challenges of growing plants in space for future space missions, emphasizing the importance of this field in advancing human presence beyond Earth.

💡astronaut Leland Melvin

Leland Melvin is a retired astronaut who shared his experiences of eating meals in space, which was a profound and symbolic experience for him. His story illustrates the human aspect of space exploration and the camaraderie among international astronauts, which is a central theme of the video.

💡dehydrated vegetables

Dehydrated vegetables are those from which most of the water content has been removed, typically to preserve them for long-term storage. In the context of the video, these vegetables are part of the astronaut's diet, highlighting the limitations of fresh food in space and the need for alternative solutions.

💡Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a place that collaborates with NASA to test different plants for their potential to be grown in space. This collaboration is a key element in the video, showcasing the intersection of botany and space exploration.

💡growing beyond Earth program

The 'Growing Beyond Earth' program is a citizen science project that involves students from across the United States in testing various plants for their viability in space. This program is central to the video's narrative, as it demonstrates the educational and scientific potential of involving young minds in space-related research.

💡space station

A space station is a large structure designed for humans to live and work in space for extended periods. The International Space Station (ISS) is mentioned in the video as the location where plants are being tested for growth. The space station serves as a practical example of the challenges and innovations in growing plants in space.

💡citizen science

Citizen science involves the participation of non-professional scientists in scientific research. The video emphasizes the role of students as citizen scientists, contributing to the understanding of plant growth in space, which is a key aspect of the 'Growing Beyond Earth' program.

💡extra dwarf bok choy

Extra dwarf bok choy is a compact variety of bok choy that has been found to perform well in various conditions, including those simulated in space. This plant is highlighted in the video as a potential candidate for space agriculture, showcasing the practical applications of the research.

💡hydroponics

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water solutions. The video discusses the challenges of providing nutrients to plants in space, which is similar to the hydroponic systems used on Earth. This concept is crucial in understanding how plants might be grown in the absence of natural soil and gravity.

💡LED lights

LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights are used in the video as a source of artificial light for plants in space, where natural sunlight is not available. The use of LED lights is an example of the innovative solutions being explored to support plant growth in space environments.

💡space agriculture

Space agriculture refers to the practice of cultivating plants in space to provide food for astronauts. The video's focus on finding suitable plants and growing techniques for space is a direct exploration of the challenges and possibilities of space agriculture, which is essential for long-term space missions.

Highlights

Retired astronaut Leland Melvin's profound experience of eating a meal in space with international colleagues.

The importance of fresh vegetables for astronauts and the challenges of growing them in space.

The collaboration between Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and NASA to test different plants for space cultivation.

The Growing Beyond Earth program involving over 40 states and tens of thousands of students.

The discovery of extra dwarf bok choy as a suitable plant for space by students in the program.

The challenges of growing plants in space, including limited space, lack of gravity, and water delivery issues.

The use of artificial light, like LED lights, to support plant growth in space.

The need for plants that don't require a complex soil ecology to thrive in space.

The use of sterilized seeds and artificial, sterile soil for plant growth in space.

The innovative method of harvesting part of a plant and allowing it to regrow for continuous harvesting.

The potential applications of space-grown plants for urban and indoor gardening on Earth.

The use of social media and virtual interactions for data sharing and communication among students and NASA scientists.

The impact of the Growing Beyond Earth program on students' interest in science and plant exploration.

The role of teachers in different schools in facilitating the program and the workshops held at the garden.

The creative solutions students have developed for light and water delivery to plants in space.

The potential for space-grown plants to expand our gastronomic choices and contribute to global food diversity.

The call to action for viewers to share their ideas on edible plants suitable for space station cultivation in the comments.

Transcripts

as James Kirk and Jean Luke peard had

famously said space the final frontier

especially for growing plants although

you'll find an awful lot of Fantastical

plant references in Star Trek on various

fan sites growing plants in space for

food is still an exploration at best a

number of years back I spoke with my

friend retired astronaut Leland Melvin

about his time and space eating a meal

70 plus miles above the Earth was quite

a symbolic and profound experience for

him which all excerpt

here whenever I break braad with friends

or people that I just mean I always

think about the time and space my first

flight we were flying around the world

17,500 M hour every 90 minutes and we

were eating this meal with people we

used to fight against so Dr Peggy whon

was the first female commander who after

this installation of the Columbus

laboratory she invited us to dinner she

said okay we're going to have the meat

over here you guys bring the rehydrated

vegetables so we all float over with our

bag of vegetables and we kind of a mass

around this table and there people from

Russia from Germany from France

African-American Asian American the

first female commander and we're

listening to shade on the iPod through

the speakers as we're tasting these

different meals from around the world

and that was my space morgage board that

was my moment where I realized where I

was because everything before that was

you know you're doing your task to get

the job done it's all Technical and it's

time you know the time time centered but

this was a moment you could just let

your hair down you know and have this

incredible meal with people that you

used to fight against and I think that

was the most most transformative moment

for me because that also helped me get

that orbital perspective I'll link to

that entire interview because it's quite

relevant to the current events of the

day day but I digress because as you

heard from him it was dehydrated

vegetables that they were eating and if

it's one thing that astronauts miss the

most it's fresh veggies but is it even

possible to grow we'll go down to Miami

Florida and sync up with the Mr Rogers

of the Plant World Chad huspy to talk

about the collaboration that Fairchild

tropical botanic garden has with Nassau

and schools around the United States to

explore what growing technique and plant

species can work best for an indoor

garden in a space

station it looks cool from the outside

here with this like little purple door

and yeah yeah

we got a whole Orchid display and yeah

other things on the

[Music]

outside yeah this is where the

headquarters for the What's called the

growing beyond Earth program that is a

collaboration between Fairchild garden

and NASA test different plants that can

be grown to eat in space and this is a

collaboration with different high

schools and middle schools all across

the country now more than 40 States and

they've been several tens of thousands

of students who who've contributed to it

so far it started out uh it's about 78

years ago now when um some of the staff

here uh the director ctor Carl Lewis and

and Amy pedol the education director

they happen to hear some some YouTube

videos of some of the NASA scientists

who were who were looking into growing

vegetables in space and and uh they

realized that this had a neat connection

to plant exploration because you know

the the tradition here of bringing in

all all sorts of new plants that David

Fairchild started also was largely based

on bringing new food plants that might

have potential for improving nutrition

and

and one of the things that uh astronauts

miss most when eating their their

freeze-dried prepared food in space was

fresh vegetables and fresh vegetabl also

are way to provide vitamin K which is

hard to supply in the in the preserved

meals that that can survive uh the the

trip to space and storage in space and

so uh it turned out that this was a

great match between the idea of trying

to find new plants that could be

good potential space crops and then

students are able to test these and

share the data with NASA and they can

test much larger diversity of crops than

NASA could test by itself so it's it's a

citizen science project basically with h

that students become the citizen

Sciences well I mean that's great for

students to be able to explore this I

mean even if they don't come up with

anything that that is like workable like

just the process of actually going

through this and what would work and

what would not and then also just your

expansion of what vegetables may be so

when we think about vegetables we think

about the traditional vegetables that we

may have on our plates but are they

looking at vegetables across many

different geographies and cultures in

order to see which ones were the best

because let's just be honest maybe some

our typical lettuce and carrot might not

actually be the ones that are going up

to space with us well it's so true

because the one of the big limitations

of growing in space is they don't have a

lot of space space because they they

have to grow them now there are these

little Chambers they use on the

International Space Station called

veggie which are about the size of these

Chambers these little little cubes here

growing in space is one of the kind of

the real Edge challenges you know often

the big Innovations in horiculture come

from growing plants you know in places

that where it's difficult to grow them

like in cold places or in dry places or

in you know really wet places places

that don't get as much sun space you

don't have gravity which means you don't

have air circulation can be a problem

and delivering water to the plants is a

problem because water you know if you

took a watering can or a hose in a zero

gravity environment it would go

everywhere you know so you and uh only a

few of those drops would maybe hit the

plant roots you don't have the Sun so

you have to use artificial light like

these Chambers have have LED lights that

um have both red green blue and white

how does evapo trans inspiration work or

does it work in space have all these

questions no it's true it it does work

but it it works uh you have to provide

the convection the air movement to

because if you did you have to if you

didn't have fans moving the air the air

is very still in a zero gravity

environment and so the plant when it's

photosynthesizing it's going to take in

all the CO2 that that's in its immediate

surroundings right around the leaves and

stems and you know that'll that'll you

know and then the CO2 the diffusion of

the CO2 from the surrounding air is very

slow compared to the process of

photosynthesis taking it up so you you

know with with Earth here we have

gravity we have the sun different

temperature you know Sun warming up the

Earth so that hot air rises and the

wind's blowing and and plants you know

generally have plenty of plenty of

forces to change the CO2 and the around

them and the oxygen and give them as

much as they can as they need but in

space you know we have to kind of

simulate all this and not all plants uh

like that environment as well and that's

why it's it's useful to to have to

experiment with a bunch of these

different plants and some plants you

know like the are full-size garden

plants wouldn't even fit in you know in

these Chambers very well so yeah the

question of like well how much biomass

can you get like is it is it enough to

make one sandwich but if you're up there

for you know four months that's a whole

different story oh yeah yeah it's a it's

um they've been trying to find different

ways to make growing food in space more

efficient and one of them is you know

choosing the right crops one of the

plants that's really performed that was

discovered by the students in this

program was extra dwarf bok

choy which U is very Compact and it you

know it grows grows well under a variety

of different conditions and one thing uh

having a a whole bunch of schools

participate in this program is that if

you find a one of these plants that

grows well in like 50 different schools

under you know with they've each got you

know different slightly different

temperature and humidity regimes in

their classrooms and all sorts of other

variables of how they're taken care of

and if they can if they just perform

across all those the chances that

they'll perform in the rigors of space

are much better and and so the the NASA

scientists have really appreciated kind

of having you know students running

these experiments all across the country

in all different situ

yeah and then also I mean if that like

extra dwarf Bach Choy that you mentioned

is performing well in like something as

constrained space constraints but chunk

um in space then uh you know it would

probably work well on Earth in in very

tight

constraints oh yes yes very much so

that's the that's the interesting thing

is yeah the plant that's you know robust

enough for for space has also got virtue

for you know we've got all kinds of you

know like vertical gardening we want to

do in you know in urban environments on

Earth and other other you know balconies

growing things on balconies and whatnot

that have similar kinds of challenges

and growing things indoors where we

don't have as much light and we need to

use our latest Technologies for uh

providing light and the LED has been

such a huge Advance uh for providing

artificial light now how does nutrients

work are they giving them like a

nutrient Rich substrate because you know

you're probably not taking a lot of the

tinoy or bacteria or anything funy in

the in the substrate with you or are

they you know I guess there's like some

little animals that have uh done well in

space like was it a rodifer or with the

the ones that look like little teddy

bears oh yeah the tardigrades

tardigrades yes yes but you know when I

think about nutrients I think about like

um you know growing things

hydroponically and providing nutrients

or I think like in living soil like

bacteria making nitrogen available etc

etc how are they kind of contending with

that issue within

space they actually have to bring them

up as seeds that have been sterilized so

they're they're actually not they they

try to avoid on the space missions

having all sorts of microorganisms

introduced to that environment so so

that's part of the the challenge is that

they you know you're having to kind of

have plants that don't need a lot of

other kind of soil ecology to do well

and one of the interesting things is

that these the the plants in the in the

Brassica family the brassa Casey like

bok choy is one of those and um things

like cabbage and all those that that um

are cruciferous vegetables they actually

don't need micar rizy which is

interesting even in nature they don't

they kind of are able to they make a lot

of very thin fibrous roots and they're

one of the few plant groups that doesn't

tend to establish those those

relationships so uh that's been a

helpful characteristic of these and we

they have to use completely artificial

kind of sterile soil here which

um this is uh this right here is sort of

a Pete based soil but in um they also

use this is actually some Coco looks

like a COC yeah coconut Coco coil

coconut

coir and then there's also this material

that they use it's a clay that's heated

at very high temperatures and it's like

if you were to then Crush say a

terracotta pot into the particle size of

sand and it's very stable you can you

know it won't break down into into mushy

clay anymore and that that provides a a

good growing medium for a lot of plants

yeah it almost feels like a sand but

slightly different texture and and it

has characteristics that regular sand

doesn't have because it can absorb a lot

of nutrient because it has all the space

inside that clay has and it can also

absorb a lot of moisture and plants can

grow well in it so and are these some of

the vegetables over here or plants or

are these just like left over from like

a a plant sale no some some of these are

that and some of these are plant are

some of the new plants that are being

tested like the Madagascar Periwinkles

here they aren't being those aren't

edible for example but they've been U

testing you know many many you know I'm

sure they've tested well over 100

different varieties of of plants for uh

in these Chambers and how they how they

perform and they've also tested some

they've actually tried one really

Innovative method called it's um it's

where they actually Harvest Harvest part

of the plant and then let it regrow like

these leafy vegetables and then continue

sort of a continuous continuous

harvesting and they found that they

could get with the same amount of

fertilizer about twice the edible uh

biomass from those plants wow F I mean

fascinating I mean these are just things

that you could apply in normal life and

they're just you know working under like

really different constraints that's

fascinating also when you mentioned

brassa I think about like the brasas

that I see in Rock Gardens there's a lot

of brasas that grow well on Rock Gardens

like really little substrate like you

said very

um superficial roots and that spread

like crazy that seed like

crazy so that could be interesting and

you know to think about all the

different food crops across the world

we're so limited when we go to our own

supermarkets we're so limited in like

what we think we can eat but there's

just so much more available out of there

if we just expand our

gastronomic Cuisine oh yeah like I'm not

necessarily a big bok choy eater but

many cultures are you know big boach

Choy eaters and if that's what actually

works in space and that's amazing where

do we find out the results of This

research and when are the results where

do the results get posted where do where

does like the public learn about this

more there's a you can there's a there's

a Twitter account that uh at growing

beyond Earth that that has a lot of the

latest you know postings from different

schools in the program and the Fairchild

tropical botanic garden uh websites and

the Fairchild challenge that this is

that this is involved with our education

program progr all have have information

it's been an amazing collaboration and

we've had even had these students a

couple years ago they were able to do to

do a live communication with with

astronauts on the International Space

Station and uh they were and when the

astronauts actually were uh were able to

eat some of the vegetables that that

they were growing that had been tested

in the program and and the students

could ask them questions so it's been a

real inspiration for a lot of for a lot

of students to see how how relev you

know horiculture and plants and and also

plant exploration in terms of uh you

know testing a whole bunch of new plants

and thinking of new ways to grow them

can be for some of our you know highest

profile science which is trying to get

people to uh other planets and and uh

and to grow in the most you know space

is probably the most challenging

environment uh there is so this is a

laboratory where um we're work on uh

innovating ways different new ways to

grow plants that students think of both

you know all the way from we've had

students in elementary school all the

way through high school who have been

doing this and it's got we have uh 3D

printers and uh you have some have laser

engravers and and regular engravers over

in here so there's all we have all the

tools to uh bring to life ideas that

students have of how to grow plants in

space and how to do things like deliver

deliver lights and water this is a an

interesting idea of how to deliver light

evenly to the different to the leaves of

a plant

stem growing in space using this uh sort

of the light conducting

plastic and uh also there have been

students have worked on different ways

of delivering Water to plants and space

which is a big one of the biggest

challenges you know different different

uh materials to that Wick the water and

um and different methods of delivering

it without uh letting it scatter so

there's been a there's all kinds of

interesting potential project you know

ways to to make growing plants in space

more efficient and more feasible and you

know it's amazing to see you know how

creative students have been able to be

when they've uh been presented with this

Challenge and then one of the other um

beautiful things is

that the students uh it kind of forces

them to think of the the general

challenges of growing plants you know

because they're these are the same kinds

of challenges we have on Earth you know

in many ways yeah and uh but but kind of

trying to many of the Innovations in

horiculture have have occurred in

difficult environments and uh such as

such as cold and dry places and uh space

is is kind of the next step in

that now in the student you mentioned

like you know around 50 uh 50 schools or

so like participating in the program

does one teacher within each of those

schools take it on or are there

different mentors outside of the school

that lead these conversations and these

discussions do the students all convene

and come here on a one day with one um

you know mentor or how does that work

they uh usually it's it's individual

teachers at different schools that are

you know in science classes that

interact with the with the garden here

and with and they because many we're

doing this in over 40 States now so they

don't they don't all come together

physically but the the schools down here

in South Florida there are workshops for

the teachers and for the students they

they come regularly to the Garden to to

do different programs related to the

growing beyond Earth so it's a there's a

lot of interaction a lot of you know

virtual interaction through virtual

meetings and and through a lot of the

data gets shared via Twitter and other

social media and um and they do get to

interact with NASA scientists now and

then which is H and the NASA scientists

get to have actually you know found the

data that's been produced they've

produced hundreds of thousands of data

points on on plant growth and and it's

been a tremendously um fruitful

collaboration every pun intended indeed

indeed thanks Chad for showing this I

mean this just looks like a field day

for any type of kid who loves science

like all these different uh things that

you could play with I mean we barely had

a computer in the high school that I

grew up so it's to to to be playing with

all these different uh machines and uh

um 3D printers and whatnot that's

exciting absolutely know the potential

now that students have to explore their

ideas is just amazing we have so many

new tools and uh you know this is just

beginning since our community here is so

International I'd love to hear from you

in the comments about what edible plants

you think will work best to grow in a

space station I personally think a

number of species of micro greens

including sunflower Bak Choy and mustard

greens would be interesting because it

could take so little time for them to

grow and provide fresh available

nutrients

so put your ideas in the comments below

for folks to consider and in the

meantime check out what we have in store

with our online house plant courses at

Homestead

brooklyn.com and what we're growing on

our sister Channel over at flock

fingerlakes we'll see you in the next

episode