Scientists based at the University of WA are growing food they say will survive and thrive in outer space. They’re one year into a seven-year research project, aimed at creating nutrient-dense plants for astronauts.
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00:00These little seedlings have a long mission ahead of them.
00:06They aren't bound for Earth, but destined for an intergalactic journey.
00:11Scientists at Plants for Space are maximising their potential to create nutritious, low-waste
00:16food for astronauts.
00:17They're often having to eat things that are vacuum-packed and that might not be very enjoyable
00:24for them to eat.
00:25If we produce plants that have a full nutritional profile, it means that astronauts, when they
00:31go to space, they're able to meet all of their nutritional needs just from the plants that
00:35they're eating.
00:36These plants here are duckweed and moss.
00:40Duckweed is really great because it has a high protein content.
00:43Plants without roots limit the amount of food wasted.
00:47When we're in space, we don't want to be throwing away a lot of products.
00:51So we want to grow plants where you're able to eat and consume pretty much the entire
00:55plant.
00:56It's people like Australian astronaut Catherine Bennel-Pegg who will reap the benefits.
01:01Many astronauts up there crave a really loaded salad or something like that.
01:08It's not easy.
01:09You can't have fresh salad things up there.
01:11Everything pretty much that astronauts eat today comes from Earth and that's something
01:16that we need to solve if we want to venture further afield.
01:19Actually scientists aren't just developing plants that they can grow on board space shuttles.
01:23Within the next few years, they think they'll be able to grow vegetables like tomatoes and
01:28potatoes on the moon.
01:30By simulating space-like environments, scientists can analyse how plants grow in hostile climates.
01:36Where we have complete control over the light, the humidity, the nutrients that we're providing
01:41to the plants, we grow them as fast as possible to produce whatever we want and try and keep
01:47the waste to an absolute minimum.
01:49We're hoping to create a future out of this world.