How will astronauts going to Mars be able to grow their own food? Researchers working on the International Space Station are experimenting with growing plants in the microgravity environment of space to figure out the best way to provide fresh food for future astronauts traveling to Mars.

How will astronauts going to Mars be able to grow their own food?

Researchers working on the International Space Station are experimenting with growing plants in the microgravity environment of space to figure out the best way to provide fresh food for future astronauts traveling to Mars.

Microgravity isn’t the only environmental difference that exists in space.

There are also volatile organic compounds that can affect seed production if they aren‘t properly handled, along with higher radiation levels, which might cause mutations or change how the plant grows.

According to Doctor Anna-Lisa Paul from the University of Florida who worked on the study: “In these experiments, we found that light had a very profound impact on not only the direction of root growth but also the morphology or patterns of root growth.”

The same tests were conducted on Earth, so that the results could be compared and analyzed.

Experiments onboard the International Space Station will help astronauts on the NASA spacecraft called Orion that has plans to make the one year trip to our neighboring planet.