NASA Press Release — Dec 14th 2020
from the NASA Technology Transfer Program: NASA is seeking input for a possible space food challenge with a proposed opening in early 2021. The challenge objective is to identify and foster novel technologies, systems, and approaches for food production for long-duration space exploration missions. The proposed competition will challenge the public to help NASA create… Read More
Sara Humphrey — Aug 31st 2020
Although they seem like normal, everyday plants, beans have a hidden superpower that could make them indispensable crops for spaceflight. What makes them special? Beans, peas, and the other members of the family Fabaceae are called legumes, and many legumes are able to do something that other plants can’t: they can make root nodules. Essentially,… Read More
Kai Rasmussen — Apr 18th 2020
Hello, fellow astrobotany enthusiasts! It’s Kai, and I’ve got a quick announcement. First off, I hope everyone is keeping well during the coronavirus outbreak. Take care of yourselves, and please stay safe and healthy. Next, as far as astrobotany goes, I wanted to share an opportunity for all astrobotanists/educators/enthusiasts who want to get more involved… Read More
Kai Rasmussen — Nov 14th 2019
from a NASA PRESS RELEASE: Jess Bunchek, an associate scientist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, observes plant cultivars inside the Veggie growth chamber in the Space Station Processing Facility prior to harvesting them on Sept. 30, 2019, for a science verification test (SVT). This SVT will study the potential of three plants –… Read More
Hans Uy — May 1st 2019
If you’re like me, you have dreams of one day launching into space and landing on Mars, but at the same time, you can’t bear to part with the culinary delicacies Earth has to offer. So what will future Mars astronauts and space colonists eat? Let’s first consider what astronauts currently enjoy on the ISS.… Read More
Aidan Moore — Mar 4th 2019
Do you have issues growing plants? Many people struggle to even keep a houseplant alive, let alone a whole garden. Countless books have been written on how to care for everything from sunflowers to trees, and one major assumption is that plants will be raised on earth. There are no instructional books on growing plants… Read More
Kai Rasmussen — Feb 24th 2019
Our first shirt of 2019 is “Royalty”, and here’s the photoshoot. I chose two researchers, Ruby Kleijwegt, and Jon Lombardino, to model the shirts. Beyond their connection to astrobotany, both Ruby and Jon work in science education and outreach, which happens to be our major focus for 2019-2020. Ruby Kleijwegt Ruby is an astrophysics major… Read More
Kai Rasmussen — Feb 19th 2019
February 19th 2019, marks the 2 year anniversary of astrobotany.com. I’d just like to take this moment to observe some of the accomplishments we have made as a website and community since last February. I’m also going to briefly outline our focus for 2019 through early 2020. by the numbers This year saw 6,440 unique… Read More
Kai Rasmussen — Jan 17th 2019
Welcome to Astrobotany Answers, a segment where Kai Rasmussen (AKA Young Mark Watney) tries to answer email questions to the best of his abilities. Let’s open the mail bag and see what’s up today. Hey Kai, My name is Stephen. I am a big fan! (Though I just found out who you were a couple… Read More
Kai Rasmussen — Jan 6th 2019
China is poised to take an astrobotany first- growing plants on the dark side of the moon. The Chang’e-4 spacecraft recently made headlines for being the first spacecraft to land on the “dark side of the moon”, and now we’re making it a headline here on astrobotany.com, because it’s carrying some very, very important cargo.… Read More
