What do astronauts eat?

The challenges of growing plants in space.

When we move off into the interplanetary expanse, we will still need to be well fed. But food isn’t exactly abundant in space, or on other planets like Mars. The answer? Space crops.

But what are the challenges of growing plants in space? And how could we develop crops to support long-term space habitation?

Cosmos asked Professor Matthew Gilliham, the director of the Waite Research Institute at the University of Adelaide. His research focuses on crop plant nutrition and stress resilience, and he is currently developing programs in space agriculture – including the growth and adaptation of plants to space environments