Related+NASA+Research

Lunar Plant Growth Chamber Scientist Oscar Monje (shown at left) is helping NASA engineers better understand the physiology of plants so they can design plant growth chambers for space. Dr. Monje works directly on projects related to growing plants in space, "I'm a plant physiologist that knows how to grow plants in microgravity. Thus, I can help engineers design plant growth chambers for space from the “plant” point of view. I can understand plant growth from the data collected by instrumentation, which is essential for conducting plant experiments in space on the International Space Station from a remote location on Earth....Many biophysical and physical phenomena are different in space (i.e., hot air does not rise, water does not drain, et cetera) in ways that we are not accustomed to on Earth. This makes it difficult for people to adjust for the phenomena’s effects on living organisms growing in life support systems...Because plants are a renewable source of food and oxygen, and they recycle water. We can't launch every bit of food for astronauts every day of every mission to every corner of the universe. It’s too expensive, so future astronauts being able to grow their own food is essential."

**Plant Growth Tests on the International Space Station** In August 2007, the STS-118 space shuttle mission launched into space, and with it launched 10 million cinnamon basil seeds. Nearly all of the seeds were returned to Earth for students to grow in plant growth chambers they designed, but 16 of the seeds were left behind on the International Space Station for an in-orbit experiment. Along with the seeds, two plant growth chambers, watering devices and drink bags were also left on the space station for Expedition 15 and 16 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson to use to grow plants from the seeds. Anderson documented the plants' growth by photographing the plants inside the chambers every other day for nearly three weeks. The objective of the experiment was to demonstrate growing plants in a microgravity environment using small plastic chambers. Students can compare the results from their plant growth chamber experiments with Anderson's results. //**Photo caption:** Astronaut Clayton Anderson observes the plant growth inside one of the plant growth chambers on the space station. Image Credit: NASA //

//http://www.asi.org/adb/04/03/05/plant-life-support.html //