Space agencies and research groups around the world are working to answer one of the biggest questions for future space exploration to the Moon and Mars: how will humans grow food beyond Earth?
On the International Space Station, NASA’s Veggie and Advanced Plant Habitat systems have already grown a surprising variety of crops, including lettuce, kale, radishes, and chile peppers, turning orbit into the first real testbed for space farming. These experiments allow scientists to study how plants respond to the unique challenges of microgravity, where fluids behave differently, roots struggle to orient themselves, and water must be delivered through specialized wicking systems rather than flowing downward as on Earth. The plants also experience increased radiation exposure and extremely limited growing volume, and yet they continue to demonstrate that controlled-environment agriculture can thrive even hundreds of kilometers above Earth.
Image: Three different varieties of plants growing in the Veggie plant growth chamber on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA KSC
Beyond the scientific value, these experiments highlight another crucial benefit: growing fresh food in space boosts astronaut health, nutrition, and psychological well-being, making plant cultivation a key component of long-duration missions.
Image: Growing plants in Space. Credit: NASA
At the same time, universities and research teams have advanced the field by closely analyzing how plants respond to Lunar-like soils. Regolith is the loose, fragmented layer of rock, dust, and mineral debris that covers solid bedrock on planetary bodies such as the Moon, Mars, and asteroids. Studies using both Apollo-derived lunar regolith and modern regolith simulants—such as those produced by Space Resource Technologies—have helped researchers understand the biological stresses these substrates impose on plant growth.
Research including Raman spectroscopy analysis of plants grown in lunar regolith simulant has revealed clear biochemical indicators of stress, including changes in photosynthetic pigments, cell-wall compounds, and phenolic content. These signals suggest that the unique mineral composition and physical properties of lunar-like regolith present significant challenges to normal plant physiology, highlighting the complexity of sustaining plant life in extraterrestrial environments.
Image: Moss-derived microbiome improves crop growth in lunar and Martian soil simulants. Credit: Jaehong Park et Al.
Complementary studies examining Arabidopsis thaliana grown in simulated Lunar and Martian regolith have documented reduced root elongation, lower chlorophyll, elevated anthocyanins, and activation of metal- and oxidative-stress gene pathways, all of which point to nutrient scarcity, limited water retention, and chemically aggressive minerals as key obstacles for plant growth in extraterrestrial materials. Because actual Lunar regolith is extremely limited, these regolith simulants—which we carefully engineered to reproduce the physical and geochemical traits of real Moon and Mars soils—have become essential tools that allow scientists to test soil amendments, plant traits, and environmental controls that could someday support sustainable agriculture beyond Earth.
Image: Raman spectroscopy-based assessment of biochemical differences in the plants grown in the Earth soil and lunar regolith simulant (LMS-1). Credit: Alex Rodriguez et Al. Raman spectroscopy as a tool for assessing plant growth in space and on lunar regolith simulants.
Recent studies using simulants show that plants often struggle with nutrient availability, water retention, and metal toxicity, but they also reveal which species or genetic traits could help future astronauts cultivate crops on the Lunar or Martian surface. This work is part of a larger global effort to design “bioregenerative life-support systems” where plants recycle air, water, and waste essential if humans are to live on the Moon or Mars for months at a time.
Image: Schematic diagram of bacterial influence on barley. Credit: Jaehong Park et Al. Moss-derived microbiome improves crop growth in lunar and Martian soil simulants.
While these advances in space agriculture may seem distant, the field is no longer reserved for research labs, government agencies, or astronauts orbiting Earth. Thanks to accessible educational tools, anyone can now participate in the same kinds of experiments that are shaping the future of Lunar and Martian exploration. Hands-on STEM kits make it possible to test how plants behave in alien soils, observe the effects of nutrient scarcity or mineral stress, and learn the fundamentals of controlled-environment agriculture that NASA and university researchers use every day.
Explore Space Resource Technologies Plant Kit
With the Astro-Farmer Kit, an STEM-kit, you can work directly with Lunar regolith simulants, compare plant growth in Earth soil versus regolith mixtures, and watch how seedlings respond to the unique challenges scientists are studying for future missions. By tracking germination, root development, and leaf coloration, you replicate the core principles behind real space-agriculture experiments while developing your own hypotheses and observations. It’s an immersive way to bring the excitement of off-world farming straight into your home, classroom, as a Science Fair Project, or STEM club, transforming global space research into a hands-on experience that anyone can explore.
Image: Astro-Farmer STEM Activity Kit, Grow Plants in Moon Dirt.
References:
- https://link-springer-com.portal.lib.fit.edu/content/pdf/10.1007/s00374-025-01923-3?pdf=openurl
- https://www-nature-com.portal.lib.fit.edu/articles/s41526-025-00479-8
- https://www-sciencedirect-com.portal.lib.fit.edu/science/article/pii/S030147972202028X
- https://www-sciencedirect-com.portal.lib.fit.edu/science/article/pii/S1470160X25009550
- https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.portal.lib.fit.edu/36501382/