Back to some questions submitted last summer by kids from S&T's Aerospace Camp:

Do plants grow in space?
-- Preston (Team Space Shuttle)

MAGNUS: Yes, they do, and there are several experiments that have been conducted to understand how plants grow and how to help them grow well. It turns out that plants in space do not necessarily grow in straight lines like you see them here on Earth. Both the stalk and the roots get very curly and twisted and have many bends. They do not have to fight gravity and therefore are a bit more free form. We are trying to understand how to get nutrients to the plants efficiently (think about the difficulties of watering them in zero g, for example) and what kind of artificial light they need to grow. Also, you have to make sure that the plants can produce viable seeds that in turn can grow into new plants. These studies are all very important since, when we establish an outpost on the moon and Mars, it will be important to have plants available for food and for atmosphere cleansing.