The HSGSA and MAEGSA proudly present this year’s Mason Pharr Seminar. “Food Production for Space Exploration” by Dr. Gioia Massa of the NASA-Kennedy Space Center.

Dr. Massa will talk about the agricultural and engineering challenges of growing food using bioregenerative life support systems to supply astronauts on current and future space exploration missions. The goal of space food production is to produce safe, nutritious, appealing food with crops to supplement the stored diet astronauts will be eating. Growing plants in this environment presents a number of unique challenges, but also opportunities for novel biological or technological solutions. Testing of the Veggie growth chamber on the international space station has begun to pave the way for space food production, however water stress and biotic stresses have negatively impacted plant growth. Generally astronaut responses to plants are very positive, and adding fresh produce has begun to enhance dietary variety. Current and future tests will expand the crops grown in space and the methods for growing them, and new tools will allow us to further this research as we develop plant growth systems for future space exploration.