Growing full crops in space First commercial space greenhouse to be launched in 2023
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'Growing full crops in space': First commercial space greenhouseto be launched in 2023
In order toboost crop production research outside Earth and support exploration missions,Redwire Corporation said on Tuesday it would launch the first commercial spacegreenhouse in Spring next year.According to Dave Reed, Redwire's manager forthe greenhouse project, the space infrastructure company's project will helpdeliver critical insights for NASA's Artemis missions and beyond.
''Growingfull crops in space will be critical to future space exploration missions asplants provide food, oxygen and water reclamation,'' he added.Aiming at sendingastronauts to the moon and establishing a long-term lunar colony, the Artemisprogramme of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will actas a precursor to the eventual human exploration of Mars.
Highlightingthat the project will enhance humanity's ability to grow crops in space,commercial agricultural technology firm Dewey Scientific will be the company'sfirst customer.From benchtop laboratory facilities to true production in space,the Redwire Greenhouse will provide a simple and scalable commercial solutionfor customers seeking to advance crop science.
Aftermanaging plant investigations in the NASA-owned Advanced Plant Habitat since2018, Redwire Greenhouse will leverage already flight-qualified Redwire plantgrowth technology including Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS)devices on the International Space Station.