For a mission to Mars, space travellers will need enough food to last the crew for about two or three years. What things will the crew have to think about when they choose the food to take with them?
Scientists think that space travellers will be able to meet some of their needs by growing plants. Plants will give the crew food, water, and oxygen and take up carbon dioxide.
There are other good reasons for growing plants on the space mission. Seeds take up very little space in the spaceship. They also have less mass than food does. One seed with a mass of less than 1 gram might grow several kilograms of fruit or vegetables.
What other reasons are there for growing plants on space missions?
Scientists have many questions about growing plants in space. What do you think some of those questions are?
Scientists know that seeds cannot grow on the surface of Mars. They would like to know if seeds grown in a greenhouse on Mars would produce healthy plants. They want to know how the maneuver called "aerocapture" will affect the seeds. Your class can help scientists and mission planners answer important questions by taking part in the Tomatosphere experiment. You will be asked to grow two different groups of tomato seeds. You will report your results to the Tomatosphere Project Team at the end of the experiment.