NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Plant growth will be an important part of space exploration in the future as NASA plans for long-duration missions to the moon. NASA scientists anticipate that astronauts may be able to grow plants on the moon, and the plants could be used to supplement meals.

In anticipation of the need for research into lunar plant growth, NASA and the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, or ITEEA, present the NASA Engineering Design Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber. Elementary, middle and high school students design, build and evaluate lunar plant growth chambers -- while engaging in research- and standards-based learning experiences. Students participate in the engineering design process and learn how to conduct a scientific experiment.

Choose from three ways to participate in the challenge:

     1. Design, Build and Evaluate a Chamber
     2. Design and Evaluate a Chamber
     3. Evaluate a Chamber

Educators can order cinnamon basil seeds that have flown in space. Students can compare plants grown from both space-flown and Earth-based control seeds, and test the designs of the lunar plant growth chambers. The seeds that flew on STS-118 have been distributed and are no longer available. Three million seeds from a different experiment, Materials International Space Station Experiment or MISSE-3 and -4, which were flown on the International Space Station for a year, have been added to the supply. MISSE was a series of suitcase-sized test beds containing many different materials, including seeds that were placed outside the station to test how they withstood the harsh environment of space. The MISSE seeds were returned to Earth on STS-118 too. The MISSE seeds will be available as long as supplies last.

› Join the challenge