Space farming

One astronaut on the International Space Station requires approximately "1.8 kilograms of food and packaging per day".

[3] Essentially, the space farm turns the spaceship into an artificial ecosystem with a hydrological cycle and nutrient recycling.

[4][5] In addition to maintaining a shelf-life and reducing total mass, the ability to grow food in space would help reduce the vitamin gap in astronaut's diets and provide fresh food with improved taste and texture.

A 2009 study noted significant decreases in vitamins A, C and K, as well as folic acid and thiamin can occur in as little as one year of storage.

[6] Though greenhouses may solve many of the problems presented by space, their construction would come with their own set of technical challenges.

[10] In addition to the varying effects of gravity, plants grown on the surface of Mars will be exposed to much higher levels of radiation than on Earth unless protected.

However, a 2006 study suggests maintaining elevated CO2 concentrations can mitigate the effects of hypobaric conditions as low as 10 kPa to achieve normal plant growth.

[14] Following crops have been considered for use in space farms:[3][23] potatoes, grains, rice, beans, tomatoes, paprika, lettuce, cabbage, strawberries, onions, and peppers.