How NASA plans to study crops and astronaut health for deep space missions

To sustain future long-duration journeys to the Moon and Mars, NASA has selected twelve new research projects focused on off-planet survival. The projects are split between space agriculture and human biology.

Six investigations examine plant growth, including how regolith stimulants, hydroponic microbes, and the survival traits of drought-resistant resurrection plants function under spaceflight stressors. The other six target precision health, evaluating how microgravity, space radiation, and lunar dust exposure affect inflammation, organ aging, and cellular changes, with researchers seeking repurposed medications to offset physiological damage.