We have recently increased the developmental rate and harvest index of tomato plants dramatically through genetic engineering. These plants rapidly progress through their developmental cycle to produce fruit, minimizing their size and producing little non-fruit biomass. We are calling this extremely dwarf phenotype Small Plants for Agriculture in Confined Environments (SPACE) tomatoes. These plants have been evaluated on Earth but it is not known how this dwarf plant phenotype will manifest in a microgravity environment.

This project aims to (1) cultivate SPACE tomato plants in the Advanced Plant Habitat aboard the International Space Station (ISS); (2) determine the physiological response of these plants to grow in microgravity; (3) evaluate fruit grown on the ISS for yield, nutrient levels, and microbial loading; and (4) complete a full life cycle of the SPACE tomatoes aboard the ISS and determine if growing tomatoes seed-to-seed in space alters fruit yields of progeny.

The SPACE phenotype is innovative and potentially transformative for spaceflight and ground-based controlled environment agriculture. The SPACE tomato is uniquely suited for environments where physical space is limited. Relatively little research has been done on producing plant traits such as SPACE tomatoes because they serve little agricultural importance in present-day ground-based agricultural systems. Most other mutations that produce plant dwarfs largely keep the proportion of leafy, un-edible material to edible fruit the same. NASA has investigated several dwarf tomatoes but none have been as extreme as the SPACE tomato. The SPACE trait forces the plant quickly through its developmental cycles to produce fruit without the necessity to develop the whole plant. This results in profoundly small plants that produce fruit that is a high fraction of their biomass. This work will determine how well suited SPACE tomatoes are for a bioregenerative life support system. Morphological data of SPACE tomato plants grown in microgravity will also inform future plant genetic engineering strategies on how to create other dwarf plant varieties that are ideally suited for growth on a spacecraft in microgravity.

We have recently increased the developmental rate and harvest index of tomato plants dramatically through genetic engineering. These plants rapidly progress through their developmental cycle to produce fruit, minimizing their size and producing little non-fruit biomass. We are calling this extremely dwarf phenotype Small Plants for Agriculture in Confined Environments (SPACE) tomatoes. These plants have been evaluated on Earth but it is not known how this dwarf plant phenotype will manifest in a microgravity environment.

This work will determine how well-suited SPACE tomatoes are for a bioregenerative life support system. Morphological data of SPACE tomato plants grown in microgravity will also inform future plant genetic engineering strategies on how to create other dwarf plant varieties that are ideally suited for growth on a spacecraft in microgravity.

This project aims to (1) cultivate SPACE tomato plants in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) aboard the International Space Station (ISS), (2) determine the physiological response of these plants to growth in microgravity, (3) evaluate fruit grown on the ISS for yield, nutrient levels, and microbial loading, and (4) complete a full life cycle of the SPACE tomatoes aboard the ISS and determine if growing tomatoes seed-to-seed in space alters fruit yields of progeny.

In the past year, we have completed an Experiment Requirements Document (ERD). This document outlines the specific requirements and guidelines for our experiment. The ERD includes details such as the objectives of the experiment, necessary equipment, safety protocols, and procedures. Additionally, we have shown that freezing tomato fruit is not a viable approach for saving seeds for growth on the ground. Finally, late in 2023, the first set of SPACE tomatoes were starting to be grown at NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in their APH analog setup.

We have recently increased the developmental rate and harvest index of tomato plants dramatically through genetic engineering. These plants rapidly progress through their developmental cycle to produce fruit, minimizing their size and producing little non-fruit biomass. We are calling this extremely dwarf phenotype Small Plants for Agriculture in Confined Environments (SPACE) tomatoes. These plants have been evaluated on Earth but it is not known how this dwarf plant phenotype will manifest in a microgravity environment.

This project aims to (1) cultivate SPACE tomato plants in the Advanced Plant Habitat aboard the International Space Station (ISS); (2) determine the physiological response of these plants to grow in microgravity; (3) evaluate fruit grown on the ISS for yield, nutrient levels, and microbial loading; and (4) complete a full life cycle of the SPACE tomatoes aboard the ISS and determine if growing tomatoes seed-to-seed in space alters fruit yields of progeny.

The SPACE phenotype is innovative and potentially transformative for spaceflight and ground-based controlled environment agriculture. The SPACE tomato is uniquely suited for environments where physical space is limited. Relatively little research has been done on producing plant traits such as SPACE tomatoes because they serve little agricultural importance in present-day ground-based agricultural systems. Most other mutations that produce plant dwarfs largely keep the proportion of leafy, un-edible material to edible fruit the same. NASA has investigated several dwarf tomatoes but none have been as extreme as the SPACE tomato. The SPACE trait forces the plant quickly through its developmental cycles to produce fruit without the necessity to develop the whole plant. This results in profoundly small plants that produce fruit that is a high fraction of their biomass. This work will determine how well suited SPACE tomatoes are for a bioregenerative life support system. Morphological data of SPACE tomato plants grown in microgravity will also inform future plant genetic engineering strategies on how to create other dwarf plant varieties that are ideally suited for growth on a spacecraft in microgravity.

We have recently increased the developmental rate and harvest index of tomato plants dramatically through genetic engineering. These plants rapidly progress through their developmental cycle to produce fruit, minimizing their size and producing little non-fruit biomass. We are calling this extremely dwarf phenotype Small Plants for Agriculture in Confined Environments (SPACE) tomatoes. These plants have been evaluated on Earth but it is not known how this dwarf plant phenotype will manifest in a microgravity environment.

This work will determine how well-suited SPACE tomatoes are for a bioregenerative life support system. Morphological data of SPACE tomato plants grown in microgravity will also inform future plant genetic engineering strategies on how to create other dwarf plant varieties that are ideally suited for growth on a spacecraft in microgravity.

This project aims to: (1) cultivate SPACE tomato plants in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) on board the International Space Station (ISS); (2) determine the physiological response of these plants to growth in microgravity; (3) evaluate fruit grown on the ISS for yield, nutrient levels, and microbial loading; and (4) complete a full life cycle of the SPACE tomatoes on board the ISS and determine if growing tomatoes seed-to-seed in space alters fruit yields of progeny.

As a first step to cultivating SPACE tomato plants in the APH on board the ISS, we must determine optimal environmental variables and develop protocols that can be used. To achieve this, we have conducted experiments on seed sterilization, seed germination, plant growth in arcillite, and fertilizer optimization. A seed sterilization protocol was developed that can properly sterilize our seeds to prevent unwanted microbes from making it to the ISS while making sure that our seeds remain viable. Additionally, we have shown that our seeds remain viable during storage in the APH growth substrate for greater than 8 months, which will allow flexibility in scheduling the experiment. The growth substrate in the APH is arcillite, which is a substrate we have not previously grown our tomatoes in. We have developed methods to assess and optimize water and nutrient levels in this substrate. To provide our plants fertilizer, we have identified at what level of slow release fertilizer is toxic to the plants and in the past year determined optimal levels. To determine the layout of plants in the APH, a competition experiment was performed to determine if wildtype tomato plants can outcompete SPACE tomato plants for light, water, or nutrients. A seed harvesting and replanting protocol is also in development that is compatible for microgravity. These findings and established protocols will allow for the best chances of success when our experiment is conducted on the ISS.

We have recently increased the developmental rate and harvest index of tomato plants dramatically through genetic engineering. These plants rapidly progress through their developmental cycle to produce fruit, minimizing their size and producing little non-fruit biomass. We are calling this extremely dwarf phenotype Small Plants for Agriculture in Confined Environments (SPACE) tomatoes. These plants have been evaluated on Earth but it is not known how this dwarf plant phenotype will manifest in a microgravity environment.

This project aims to (1) cultivate SPACE tomato plants in the Advanced Plant Habitat aboard the International Space Station (ISS); (2) determine the physiological response of these plants to grow in microgravity; (3) evaluate fruit grown on the ISS for yield, nutrient levels, and microbial loading; and (4) complete a full life cycle of the SPACE tomatoes aboard the ISS and determine if growing tomatoes seed-to-seed in space alters fruit yields of progeny.

The SPACE phenotype is innovative and potentially transformative for spaceflight and ground-based controlled environment agriculture. The SPACE tomato is uniquely suited for environments where physical space is limited. Relatively little research has been done on producing plant traits such as SPACE tomatoes because they serve little agricultural importance in present-day ground-based agricultural systems. Most other mutations that produce plant dwarfs largely keep the proportion of leafy, un-edible material to edible fruit the same. NASA has investigated several dwarf tomatoes but none have been as extreme as the SPACE tomato. The SPACE trait forces the plant quickly through its developmental cycles to produce fruit without the necessity to develop the whole plant. This results in profoundly small plants that produce fruit that is a high fraction of their biomass. This work will determine how well suited SPACE tomatoes are for a bioregenerative life support system. Morphological data of SPACE tomato plants grown in microgravity will also inform future plant genetic engineering strategies on how to create other dwarf plant varieties that are ideally suited for growth on a spacecraft in microgravity.

We have recently increased the developmental rate and harvest index of tomato plants dramatically through genetic engineering. These plants rapidly progress through their developmental cycle to produce fruit, minimizing their size and producing little non-fruit biomass. We are calling this extremely dwarf phenotype Small Plants for Agriculture in Confined Environments (SPACE) tomatoes. These plants have been evaluated on Earth but it is not known how this dwarf plant phenotype will manifest in a microgravity environment.

This work will determine how well suited SPACE tomatoes are for a bioregenerative life support system. Morphological data of SPACE tomato plants grown in microgravity will also inform future plant genetic engineering strategies on how to create other dwarf plant varieties that are ideally suited for growth on a spacecraft in microgravity.

This project aims to (1) cultivate SPACE tomato plants in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) aboard the ISS, (2) determine the physiological response of these plants to growth in microgravity, (3) evaluate fruit grown on the ISS for yield, nutrient levels, and microbial loading, and (4) complete a full life cycle of the SPACE tomatoes aboard the ISS and determine if growing tomatoes seed-to-seed in space alters fruit yields of progeny.

As a first step to cultivating SPACE tomato plants in the APH aboard the ISS, we must determine optimal environmental variables and develop protocols that can be used. To achieve this, we have conducted experiments on seed sterilization, seed germination, plant growth in arcillite, and fertilizer optimization. A seed sterilization protocol was developed that can properly sterilize our seeds to prevent unwanted microbes from making it to the ISS while making sure that our seeds remain viable. Additionally, we have shown that our seeds remain viable during storage in the APH growth substrate for greater than 3 months, which will allow flexibility in scheduling the experiment. The primary growth substrate in the APH is arcillite, which is a substrate we have not previously grown our tomatoes in. We have developed methods to assess and optimize water and nutrient levels in this substrate. To provide our plants fertilizer, we are using slow release fertilizer and have identified what level of fertilizer is toxic to the plants. To determine the layout of plants in the APH, a competition experiment was planned to determine if wildtype tomato plants can outcompete SPACE tomato plants for light, water, or nutrients. A seed harvesting and replanting protocol is also in development that will work aboard the ISS in microgravity. These findings and established protocols will allow for the best chances of success when our experiment is conducted on the ISS.

We have recently increased the developmental rate and harvest index of tomato plants dramatically through genetic engineering. These plants rapidly progress through their developmental cycle to produce fruit, minimizing their size and producing little non-fruit biomass. We are calling this extremely dwarf phenotype Small Plants for Agriculture in Confined Environments (SPACE) tomatoes. These plants have been evaluated on Earth but it is not known how this dwarf plant phenotype will manifest in a microgravity environment.

This project aims to (1) cultivate SPACE tomato plants in the Advance Plant Habitat onboard the International Space Station (ISS); (2) determine the physiological response of these plants to growth in microgravity; (3) evaluate fruit grown on the ISS for yield, nutrient levels, and microbial loading; and (4) complete a full life cycle of the SPACE tomatoes onboard the ISS and determine if growing tomatoes seed-to-seed in space alters fruit yields of progeny.

The SPACE phenotype is innovative and potentially transformative for space flight and ground-based controlled environment agriculture. The SPACE tomato is uniquely suited for environments where physical space is limited. Relativity little research has been done on producing plant traits such as SPACE tomatoes because they serve little agricultural importance in present day ground-based agricultural systems. Most other mutations that produce plants dwarfs largely keep the proportion of leafy, un-edible material to edible fruit the same. NASA has investigated several dwarf tomatoes but none have been as extreme as the SPACE tomato. The SPACE trait forces the plant quickly through its developmental cycles to produce fruit without the necessity to develop the whole plant. This results in profoundly small plants that produce fruit that is a high fraction of their biomass. This work will determine how well-suited SPACE tomatoes are for a bioregenerative life support system. Morphological data of SPACE tomato plants grown in microgravity will also inform future plant genetic engineering strategies on how to create other dwarf plant varieties that are ideally suited for growth on a spacecraft in microgravity.