After cultivating lettuce in space three years ago, crew members aboard the International Space Station could be growing beans in 2021, new research suggests. The beans could be planted in high-tech planters developed at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
The planters can regulate all the water, nutrients, gas and air the plants need. NTNU said it was collaborating with Italian and French researchers in their quest to cultivate plant-based food for long space journeys.
The food grown in space could be crucial to sustain the crew in future deep space missions. The longest stays at the International Space Station have been six months, while people travelling to Mars will need to be prepared to stay in space for at least a year.