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Space Gardening

Created: 2025-09-04

Author(s):
Margarita Metaxa (Arsakeio School)

What happens when we take plants out of their comfort zone—into the void of space, the harshness of Mars, or the searing heat and bone-chilling cold of the Moon? Join us on a journey to uncover how science is revolutionizing the way we grow food in environments where life itself seems impossible.
Discover the excitement of learning by doing with a hands-on STEM activity following an inquiry-based learning approach that brings science to life through simple, low-tech materials. Aimed at middle school students, this engaging activity transforms space exploration into a collaborative adventure, with experiments that can unfold over days, weeks, or even months, fueling curiosity and creativity. By exploring plant growth under the extreme conditions of space, students step into the shoes of real ISS researchers, sparking imagination and critical thinking to inspire the scientists of tomorrow.

Materials

Attached is the Teacher’s guide (instructions and guidance for the research activity)

Material for plant growth

Ready-to-use growth chambers (see below)
Plant growth containers
Notebooks
Pencils or pens
Rulers
Petri dishes
Tweezers
Camera
Radish or lentil seeds. Radish seeds are highly recommended for their short growth cycle, making them ideal for school experiments where daily development is visible. Lentil seeds may also be used. Radishes typically germinate within 24 hours, facilitating time-tracking. For example, planting on Monday allows consistent observation during weekdays.
Cotton can be used as Growth Medium.

Material to build the Plant Growth Chambers

Shoe boxes: Standard cardboard boxes, with dark interiors. If the interior is not dark, line it with black paper.
LED lights: Preferably low-power LED refrigerator lights, available in various colors (blue, red, white).
Black tape: To secure the lights in place and seal any holes for light passage.

Material to build the Plant Growth Containers

Transparent plastic bottles (e.g., water bottles) can serve as plant growth containers. This design allows students to easily observe plant development.

Goals

Students should be able to:

Design Experiments: Students will plan and execute controlled experiments to investigate plant growth under varying conditions.
Collect and Analyze Data: Students will measure, document, and analyze plant growth using scientific tools and methods.
Compare Results: Students will compare the effects of different environmental factors on plant growth and present their findings.
Construct Equipment: Students will design and build functional plant growth chambers using simple materials.

Students will:

Foster Scientific Curiosity: Students will develop a curiosity for space exploration and its challenges.
Encourage Collaboration: Students will actively participate in group discussions and teamwork to solve scientific problems.
Promote Environmental Awareness: Students will recognize the importance of sustainable practices in agriculture, both on Earth and in space.

Students will be introduced in STEM Concepts:

Integrate biology, physics, and mathematics into hands-on experiments.
Foster teamwork and collaboration through group-based problem-solving.
Enhance critical thinking by comparing student-created data in different environments of plant growing

Learning Objectives

Understand the Science of Plant Growth: Enable students to Identify and explain how light, temperature, and gravity influence plant development.
Explore challenges and solutions for growing plants in extraterrestrial environments, identifying how light, temperature, and gravity affect plant growth.
Explore Scientific Context: Students will relate their experiments to real-world research conducted on the International Space Station (ISS).

Background

Introduction to the method

The increasingly digital environment in education broadens learning opportunities with constantly updated tools. While this new learning context offers numerous benefits, the students’ distancing from hands-on learning with simple materials, and the loss of the tactile experience of learning by doing ("hands-on"), pose a significant challenge in science education and leave an irreplaceable gap. This activity proposes a collaborative teaching method in a low-tech environment, enabling students to engage in experimentation with simple materials and analog tools, complemented by computational resources. The goal is to engage middle school students on a large scale, encouraging them to participate in collaborative discussions to foster pluralistic thinking and creativity using highly accessible tools. The work focuses on guiding students in active, hands-on learning within the STEM field, using cutting-edge topics like space exploration. Specifically, we have chosen the study of plant growth in the hostile environment of space, aiming to engage students in designing and conducting experiments to explore how environmental factors like gravity and light affect plant growth, drawing connections with real research on the ISS.

Space Plant Growth and Its Challenges

Space gardening is a crucial step toward sustaining long-duration space missions and future colonization of the Moon and Mars. Through hands-on experiments, students can better understand how environmental conditions affect plant growth and contribute to solving real-world challenges in space agriculture.

1. Why Grow Plants in Space?

As space agencies like NASA, ESA, and private companies plan long-term missions to the Moon and Mars, sustaining human life beyond Earth requires innovative food production methods. Traditional food supply methods—such as sending pre-packaged meals—are not sustainable for long-duration missions. Growing plants in space provides:

Fresh food for astronauts, reducing reliance on stored supplies.
Psychological benefits, as caring for plants improves mental well-being.
Oxygen production and carbon dioxide absorption**, supporting closed-loop life support systems.
Fresh flowers and gardens create a beautiful atmosphere and let us take a little piece of Earth with us on our journeys.

2. How Do Plants Grow on Earth?

Plants require four main factors for growth:

Light (for photosynthesis)
Atmosphere that contains carbon dioxide (CO₂, for photosynthesis and the constituents of the plant's tissues. Please note that this aspect was not considered for this activity)
Water (for nutrient transport)
Nutrients (from soil or hydroponic solutions)
Gravity (to guide root and shoot growth)

On Earth, gravity helps roots grow downward (positive gravitropism) and shoots grow upward (negative gravitropism). Sunlight provides a full spectrum of light necessary for photosynthesis, and temperature remains relatively stable within plant-friendly ranges.

3. Challenges of Growing Plants in Space

The space environment presents unique challenges that affect plant growth:

Microgravity
- Without gravity, roots do not automatically grow downward, which can result in irregular or disoriented root development.
- Water behaves differently in microgravity, forming floating droplets instead of soaking into soil. Hydroponic or aeroponic systems are needed to deliver nutrients efficiently.
Light Conditions
- The International Space Station (ISS) orbits Earth every 90 minutes, leading to rapid day/night cycles.
- LED lights are used in space greenhouses to provide controlled lighting (red, blue, and white lights are commonly tested).
Temperature & Radiation
- Space temperatures vary drastically, requiring controlled environments for plants.
- Cosmic radiation can damage plant DNA, potentially affecting growth and reproduction.

4. Space Gardening Experiments: Past and Present

A Brief History of Plant Habitats in Space

5. Future of Space Farming

Space agriculture offers innovative solutions, and explores unprecedented scientific frontiers. Whether it’s cultivating crops in the microgravity of space or optimizing farming techniques on Earth with the help of satellite data, it is clear that the future of agriculture will go beyond our planet and reshape our relationship with food, nature, and the cosmos.
New methods, include:

Hydroponic & aeroponic farming, where plants grow without soil, using water or mist to deliver nutrients.
AI & automation, using smart systems to monitor plant health remotely.
Bioengineered plants, modified to withstand extreme conditions, such as low gravity or radiation.

Full Description

In this activity, students will simulate the experiments astronauts conduct on the International Space Station (ISS), specifically in the Vegetable Production System called "Veggie." The purpose of Veggie is to help study plant growth in space conditions, allowing fresh food to be added to astronauts' diets in long-duration missions. Additionally, this research provides astronauts with a "piece of Earth," contributing to their well-being. Experiments in space last for cycles of 7–15 days, repeated four times, with each cycle lasting seven days. In class, different student groups can repeat the experiment. It is essential to document the process through photographs and notes. The teacher teams up 3-4 students.

Before starting the activity

Before starting the activity teachers should construct the infrastructure needed for the experiments (about 5 hours), as follows.

Construction of Plant Growth Chambers

Students will conduct experiments in growth chambers where plant containers will be placed. They can design and construct these chambers while ensuring the following:

Enclosure: The chamber must block all external light from the lab from reaching the plants, so the research is unaffected. Plants should only be exposed to external light briefly during observations and data collection, under low lighting conditions or red light to minimize external influences.
Observation Window: A "window" in the chamber allows quick observation and data collection.
Lighting Mechanism: An LED light fixture above each plant container will provide the necessary lighting for research.

Procedure

Provide 1–2 LED lights for each plant container, depending on the experiment design.
Create a window on the side of the box that can be opened and closed easily.
Position the chamber near an outlet, away from windows. Ensure the LED lights have on/off switches for convenient operation.

Safety Note: Use LED lights, as incandescent bulbs produce heat that could harm the plants or cause fires. LEDs do not pose this risk.

Construction of Plant Growth Containers

Transparent plastic bottles (e.g., water bottles) can serve as plant growth containers. This design allows students to easily observe plant development. For short-term school experiments (7–15 days), cotton is an ideal growth medium. Cotton minimizes risks of disease and pests while allowing observation of seed germination and root growth. The brief experiment duration eliminates concerns about nutrient deficiencies.

Doing the experiments

In the following 14 days, students will be asked to conduct different experiments, investigating the effect of light, of temperature and of gravitation on seed germination and young plant growth.
The different experiments are described step by step in the Teacher's Guide.

Conclusions

After the experiments, students must complete the following worksheet.

Worksheet Survey

Title:

Objective:

Case study:

Method:

Data: (table, graph, fotos)

Results:

Based on the data collected, groups should have a guided discussion on the results. That way they will understand better the space environment for growing plants. Students should recognize that:

Light: Seeds exposed to white light (control) should show the most balanced germination and growth. Under red light, plants tend to be tallest, while under blue light they tend to produce the most foliage. In darkness seeds may germinate but will grow weak and pale (etiolated). Seeds under natural light may vary depending on day/night cycles, while those under different intensities of white light will demonstrate that stronger light generally supports more vigorous growth. If UV light is tested, germination may be reduced or growth impaired, showing its harmful effects.
Temperature: Seeds at room temperature (air and soil) germinate normally, while those in a refrigerator germinate much more slowly or not at all. Seeds kept in a freezer are unlikely to sprout.
Gravitation: Roots grow downward and stems upward due to gravitropism on Earth. When the seed orientation is changed, roots and shoots reorient themselves toward gravity.

The overall conclusion is that plants can grow in space only if astronauts create controlled environments: using the right light spectrum and intensity, maintaining suitable temperatures for healthy grow. Light or moisture can guide and compensate the plant;s growth in the absence of gravity, like on the ISS where plants grow in random directions. This shows the challenges of space gardening for long-term missions on the Moon, and Mars.

Evaluation

This will be accomplished with the presentation of their work, at the end of their research tasks, and by comparing their data with other teams’ research, coming to conclusions.

Curriculum

Biology, plants growth