Astrobotany

Astrobotany is an applied sub-discipline of botany that is the study of plants in space environments. It is a branch of astrobiology and botany.

Astrobotany concerns both the study of extraterrestrial vegetation discovery, as well as research into the growth of terrestrial vegetation in outer space by humans.^[1]

It has been a subject of study that plants may be grown in outer space typically in a weightless but pressurized controlled environment in specific space gardens.^[2] In the context of human spaceflight, they can be consumed as food and/or provide a refreshing atmosphere.^[3] Plants can metabolize carbon dioxide in the air to produce valuable oxygen, and can help control cabin humidity.^[4] Growing plants in space may provide a psychological benefit to human spaceflight crews.^[4]

The first challenge in growing plants in space is how to get plants to grow without gravity.^[5] This runs into difficulties regarding the effects of gravity on root development, providing appropriate types of lighting, and other challenges. In particular, the nutrient supply to root as well as the nutrient biogeochemical cycles, and the microbiological interactions in soil-based substrates are particularly complex, but have been shown to make possible space farming in hypo- and micro-gravity.^[6]^[7]

NASA plans to grow plants in space to help feed astronauts, and to provide psychological benefits for long-term space flight.^[8]

^ Briot, Danielle (2013), Vakoch, Douglas A. (ed.), "The Creator of Astrobotany, Gavriil Adrianovich Tikhov", Astrobiology, History, and Society: Life Beyond Earth and the Impact of Discovery, Advances in Astrobiology and Biogeophysics, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 175–185, Bibcode:2013ahs..book..175B, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-35983-5_8, ISBN 978-3-642-35983-5, retrieved 15 March 2023
^ Guzman, Ana (7 April 2021). "Ways the International Space Station Helps Us Study Plant Growth in Space". NASA.
^ "Plants in Space". NASA. 27 July 2016. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference zvet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "NASA – Getting to The Root of Plant Growth Aboard The Space Station". Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
^ Maggi, Federico; Pallud, Céline (November 2010). "Martian base agriculture: The effect of low gravity on water flow, nutrient cycles, and microbial biomass dynamics". Advances in Space Research. 46 (10): 1257–1265. Bibcode:2010AdSpR..46.1257M. doi:10.1016/J.ASR.2010.07.012. ISSN 0273-1177. Wikidata Q55950873.
^ Maggi, Federico; Pallud, Céline (2010). "Space agriculture in micro- and hypo-gravity: A comparative study of soil hydraulics and biogeochemistry in a cropping unit on Earth, Mars, the Moon and the space station". Planetary and Space Science. 58 (14–15): 1996–2007. Bibcode:2010P&SS...58.1996M. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2010.09.025.
^ Rainey, Kristine (7 August 2015). "Crew Members Sample Leafy Greens Grown on Space Station". NASA. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2016.

[:3-1] Briot, Danielle (2013), Vakoch, Douglas A. (ed.), "The Creator of Astrobotany, Gavriil Adrianovich Tikhov", Astrobiology, History, and Society: Life Beyond Earth and the Impact of Discovery, Advances in Astrobiology and Biogeophysics, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 175–185, Bibcode:2013ahs..book..175B, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-35983-5_8, ISBN 978-3-642-35983-5, retrieved 15 March 2023

[Mizuna-2] Guzman, Ana (7 April 2021). "Ways the International Space Station Helps Us Study Plant Growth in Space". NASA.

[3] "Plants in Space". NASA. 27 July 2016. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023.

[zvet-4] Cite error: The named reference zvet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[root-5] "NASA – Getting to The Root of Plant Growth Aboard The Space Station". Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2018.

[6] Maggi, Federico; Pallud, Céline (November 2010). "Martian base agriculture: The effect of low gravity on water flow, nutrient cycles, and microbial biomass dynamics". Advances in Space Research. 46 (10): 1257–1265. Bibcode:2010AdSpR..46.1257M. doi:10.1016/J.ASR.2010.07.012. ISSN 0273-1177. Wikidata Q55950873.

[7] Maggi, Federico; Pallud, Céline (2010). "Space agriculture in micro- and hypo-gravity: A comparative study of soil hydraulics and biogeochemistry in a cropping unit on Earth, Mars, the Moon and the space station". Planetary and Space Science. 58 (14–15): 1996–2007. Bibcode:2010P&SS...58.1996M. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2010.09.025.

[8] Rainey, Kristine (7 August 2015). "Crew Members Sample Leafy Greens Grown on Space Station". NASA. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2016.

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