Hurricane satellite imagery from spaceA team at the University of Nebraska is researching ways to establish agriculture in space, with the ambitious goal of growing food on Mars or the Moon. Santosh Pitla, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor of Advanced Machinery Systems who also leads Machine Automation and Agricultural Robotics (MAARS), said the team’s current focus is cultivating leafy greens like lettuce. This research is crucial for future space missions where self-sustaining food sources will be necessary.

The team leverages technologies such as the autonomous Flex-Ro robot, which is short for flexible robot. It is designed for versatile agricultural tasks like planting, spraying, and weeding.
These advancements are intended to address the unique challenges of space agriculture, such as zero gravity and limited resources.

Controlled environments, including small-scale greenhouses with advanced sensors, are being explored to create suitable growing conditions. The researchers envision robotic systems that autonomously manage plant needs and resource reclamation in space. The ultimate goal is to develop systems that can support long-term space habitation by providing reliable food sources. This groundbreaking work could transform both space exploration and terrestrial agriculture.

Read more on the University of Nebraska’s efforts to launch agriculture in space here.