Many believe that hydroponics grow systems are the future of space food, call it cosmic gardening. Just think of the sustainability that could be achieved if astronauts on the International Space Station could produce their own fresh crops themselves, and what would that mean for future long term missions to Mars.
Astronauts that are able to produce their own food would save the high cost of food replenishment, and would provide the astronauts with a fresh variety of nutritional food. We are a lot further in the knowledge of gardening in space than most people know of, in fact hydroponics grow systems have been successful in growing tomatoes, wheat, peas soybeans and potatoes in space.
Since the budget cuts in the Nasa programs scientists have taken the hydroponic research to focusing on agriculture sustainability here on earth. Technological breakthroughs are set to revolutionize farming worldwide, from remote deserts to mountainous villages.
Using hydroponics grow systems scientists have been able to push the envelope of many crops by producing yields never before seen. Utilizing Led grow lights, optimal CO2 levels and perfect nutrient mixes, have proved to be successful beyond anyone's imagination.
The most common type of hydroponic system that has been used by researchers at Nasa has been the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). The NFT system works by growing the plants in a container similar to a houses rain gutter system. The plants are supported in a long gutter type container while the nutrients run through the gutter, flowing over the roots of the plants.
Hydroponics have recently moved into the hobbyists arena, and many hydroponics grow systems have been built by ordinary people just like you and I. Using simple supplies such as PVC pipe, people are able to craft their own systems for next to nothing.
By: M. T. Varnado
