Embrapa leads Brazilian research to develop space farming technologies

The RedeSpace Farming Brazil, a research initiative led by Embrapa in partnership with the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), is developing technologies to grow fresh food in space. The project aims to support Brazil's participation in NASA's Artemis Accords by creating self-sufficient agricultural systems for long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.

Researchers are currently studying how crops can survive extreme conditions such as microgravity and high cosmic radiation. The initiative has focused on sweet potato and chickpea varieties due to their high nutritional value and adaptability. In a recent milestone, seeds and plants were sent to the edge of space via a Blue Origin New Shepard-31 suborbital flight to test their resilience. Scientists are now awaiting the return of these samples to conduct comparative studies against Earth-based controls.