Space Station Garden Shines Light on Earth-Based Horticulture

Astronauts have been gardening on the International Space Station (ISS) for years to learn how plants grow in microgravity, with the idea that space crops will one day help sustain humans on long-duration missions such as to the Moon or Mars. Rather than resting in a soil garden bed, ISS plants grow in a pillow-like container that holds a ceramic growing medium with controlled-release fertilizer that provides nutrients over time. The pillow system is designed to be a passive watering apparatus but astronauts can also inject water directly as needed.