The Enea Casaccia Research Center in Rome, funded by the Italian Space Agency and coordinated by the Federico II University of Naples, Consiglio Nazionale di Ricerca and the University of Rome Tor Vergata, has developed a hi-tech container designed for growing micro-ortages on the Moon and Mars. Thanks to this module, astronauts who would face long space missions will be able to tap into a system for producing fresh, nutrient-rich food.

Designed for the health of astronauts, who usually sustain themselves on freeze-dried foods, the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables can provide them with a balanced diet needed to counteract the effects of altered gravity and cosmic radiation, which are negative for human health.

The initiative aims to innovate agricultural practices by studying plant growth in space’s microgravity and radiation conditions.