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Researchers are developing new space agriculture technologies that could help astronauts grow food during future missions to the Moon and Mars. Scientists are combining plant biology, engineering and resource recovery systems to create closed-loop methods designed for extreme environments where traditional farming is impossible.

Building Plant Systems for Extreme Environments

Space exploration demands new approaches to agriculture because spacecraft and future planetary habitats will operate with limited resources, restricted space and challenging environmental conditions. Researchers at the USF Aerospace: Science, Technology, Research and Applications Center (ASTRA) are studying how plants, microbes and biological systems respond to conditions similar to those found beyond Earth.

Much of this work is taking place in laboratories rather than in orbit. Scientists are recreating space-related stresses on Earth to understand how biological systems react to changes in temperature, gases, moisture, lighting and available nutrients. The research brings together specialists from engineering, plant science and human health to develop technologies that could support astronauts while also addressing environmental challenges on Earth.

“We’re building multidisciplinary teams of engineers, plant scientists and health researchers who are contributing to space-related projects and their applications on Earth. It’s creating an opportunity for USF to establish itself as a leader in this field,” said Stephanie Carey, associate professor and principal investigator for USF’s ASTRA Center.

The research focuses on creating sustainable systems that could eventually operate far from Earth. Future missions lasting months or years will require astronauts to produce some of their own food instead of depending entirely on supplies launched from Earth. These systems must function with minimal outside support and recover resources whenever possible.

Mangroves Offer Clues for Future Space Farming

A team led by Christina Richards, associate professor of integrative biology at USF, is examining plants that already survive difficult environments on Earth. The research focuses on species including red mangroves and Spartina alterniflora marsh grass, plants that have adapted to pollution, changing water conditions and other environmental pressures.

Scientists are studying how these plants regulate their responses to stress and how microorganisms around their roots contribute to survival. The same biological strategies that allow coastal plants to tolerate harsh conditions could provide insights into growing crops in controlled space environments.

The connection between coastal ecosystems and space agriculture began when graduate student Jessica Bains explored the possibilities of applying plant research to extraterrestrial conditions. Richards saw an opportunity to use existing genomic approaches to understand how plants adapt when resources and environmental stability are limited.

“Space agriculture is about understanding how to grow plants in extremely difficult environments,” Richards said. “At first, I saw this topic as an opportunity to apply our approaches in genomics to understand how plants regulate those responses under the stresses they face in extraterrestrial environmental conditions.”

The researchers are approaching space agriculture through established biological science rather than treating it as a technology demonstration alone. Their goal is to understand the mechanisms behind plant resilience before adapting those findings for future spacecraft and planetary habitats.

“We want this to be rigorous science, not simply excitement about doing ‘space work,’” Richards said. “The goal is to start with strong plant biology grounded in Earth-based systems before expanding to agriculture and true space growth conditions.”

Recycling Waste into Resources for Astronauts

Future space habitats will need systems that transform waste into usable materials. The Membrane Biotechnology Lab led by professor Daniel Yeh is developing technologies that recover nutrients from human waste and convert them into resources that could support plant growth.

The system relies on anaerobic microorganisms that break down waste while producing a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used similarly to a fertilizer solution. Researchers have already grown bok choy without soil by using recycled nutrients from the process.

The approach addresses one of the largest challenges in long-duration space missions: reducing dependence on supplies launched from Earth. Every resource carried into orbit or transported to another planet adds cost and complexity, making recycling systems a key area of research.

“Transporting supplies into space is extremely expensive, and every pound (0.45 kilograms) of payload matters,” said Alexandra Smith, a graduate student in the Yeh lab. “Instead of removing nutrients as waste, we recycle them into plant growth systems that can support astronauts on long-duration missions. This same technology can also be used to face Earth’s wastewater challenges.”

The University of South Florida research also connects space technology with environmental solutions on Earth. Resource recovery systems could help communities without traditional wastewater infrastructure by providing decentralized treatment options.

“For the past 20 years, our lab has developed off-grid wastewater treatment and resource recovery systems, such as the NEWgenerator, which was successfully deployed in India and South Africa,” Yeh said. “Our technology eventually caught the attention of NASA. During the past eight years, we have been collaborating with the Kennedy Space Center to develop various space versions of our membrane bioreactor technology for incorporation into the future moon base.”

Testing Crops Inside Orbital Laboratories

Researchers are also testing plant growth systems in small satellites known as CubeSats. These compact platforms allow scientists to study how plants respond during spaceflight while monitoring environmental conditions with automated sensors, cameras and control systems.

Professor Arash Takshi has helped develop these systems through experiments designed to measure how plants react to small changes in their surroundings. Early prototypes began with red romaine lettuce and evolved into more advanced platforms capable of tracking multiple factors that influence growth.

The experiments showed that plants are highly sensitive to changes in gases, humidity, moisture and lighting. Managing these variables inside a spacecraft presents a complex challenge because biological systems depend on many connected environmental factors.

The research has also expanded toward fungi, which may offer additional possibilities for future space missions. Some fungi can grow rapidly in harsh conditions and have characteristics that interest researchers studying radiation exposure and biological support systems.

By combining plant science, engineering and recycling technologies, researchers are building a foundation for future habitats beyond Earth. The work could support astronauts traveling to the Moon, Mars and other destinations while producing technologies that improve sustainability on our planet.

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