Farming the Stars: India’s Space-Grown Superfoods and the Future of Cosmic Agriculture
Seeds in orbit are a new kind of mission that speaks deeply to my garden-loving soul. I grow tomatoes in the winter inside my house in a hydroponic system I’ve written about before, and nothing brings me more joy than harvesting food when it’s snowing outside. It makes me feel like a rebel against nature herself. Some missions aim for milestones, while this one aims for roots.
On May 29, Group Captain Sudhanshu Shukla (an Indian Air Force pilot turned astronaut) will journey to the International Space Station as part of Axiom Mission-4.
His goal is to plant seeds.
Specifically, two of India’s most revered crops: green gram (moong) and fenugreek (methi).
They’ll float in pouches aboard a laboratory that orbits the Earth every 90 minutes. And if all goes as planned, they’ll sprout in space…making history not with fire or speed, but with life.
Why Green Gram and Fenugreek?
These aren’t random picks even though they might sound it to those of us living in the US and don’t think they’ve ever had it before.
Green gram is a nutrient powerhouse that’s high in protein, low in fat, and rich in fiber.
Fenugreek is medicinal and used for digestion, inflammation, and even hormone balance worldwide.
Both are staple ingredients in Indian cuisine…familiar, comforting, and deeply symbolic to their culture and roots.
But more importantly, these guys are both resilient. They germinate quickly, require minimal soil, and have the ability to grow in small spaces.
Shukla isn’t just carrying seeds, he’s carrying cultural memory and planting stories from Earth in the dustless silence of space.
So the first thought that crossed my mind when I heard about this was obviously, omg how cool is this? Quickly though, I started wondering, can you even grow plants without gravity? Turns out the answer is: not easily.
Here on Earth (I’m assuming no astronauts are reading this right now), seeds know which way to grow thanks to gravitropism, which is their built-in awareness of “up” and “down.” Roots dive downward for moisture; shoots reach up for light. This little nudge from gravity is why roots don’t accidentally break surface while the green sprouts grow down.
In microgravity, that compass obviously breaks. Plants float confused and roots spiral sideways while water clings to everything from the roots to the sprouts.
To adapt, scientists have to use LED grow lights to mimic sunlight, and hydroponic systems to deliver nutrients. Air circulation units help to prevent mold as the leaves grow damp, and gel packs and seed mats are used to stabilize roots.
Even with our tech, success isn’t guaranteed. But every sprout that emerges in orbit is a big shot of hope for the future. If we can grow in space, we can grow anywhere.
Feeding astronauts in space is already hard, but feeding future colonists on the Moon or Mars is something else entirely.
Every seed grown in space is a step toward independence from Earth. It means fewer resupply missions, less fuel wasted on food transport and more self-reliance from my favorite planet (of course my favorite planet is Earth, I live here!).
If we can pull this off, it means someday, a Martian greenhouse might bloom with spinach and strawberries, not just freeze-dried packets and protein paste.
Shukla’s experiment isn’t just about sprouts, it’s about resilience in deep time and building life into silence against all odds. Defiance of having our spark put out by a little thing like space and time.
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What Does Space Farming Mean for Earth?
It turns out, microgravity teaches us about fragility back here on Earth. The closed-loop systems in space, where water, air, and nutrients must be recycled without waste, are perfect models for sustainable agriculture here.
Space-grown crops have inspired hydroponic vertical farms in cities, LED-optimized greenhouses, and even climate-resilient seed strains. Soil-free community garden designs have blow up in recent years in another fun little side-effect of growing in space.
In learning how to grow food in a vacuum, we’re also learning how to heal Earth’s broken farming systems…which is long overdue. Maybe we had to look up to remember how to live down here.
Fenugreek and green gram aren’t just nutritious, they’re nostalgic. They taste like childhood kitchens, festival thalis, grandma’s hands.
Sending them to space says that even when we launch into the stars, we carry our ancestors with us.
We carry flavor.
We don’t just feed our stomachs when we do this successfully, we feed our stories.
Grow Your Own Microgreens (On Earth)
AeroGarden Sprout with LED Grow Light
This compact indoor garden lets you grow herbs and greens year-round using water-based hydroponics. It’s great for people with limited space or those who want to try their hand at space-age farming…right from their kitchen.
Who Is Sudhanshu Shukla?
A former fighter pilot turned spacefarer, Group Captain Sudhanshu Shukla is part of India’s new era of space exploration.
He’s a part of the Axiom Space Mission-4, a collaboration between NASA, private spaceflight company Axiom, and international partners. And he’s not alone, alongside astronauts from Turkey, Italy, and the U.S., he’ll contribute to nearly 30 microgravity experiments during the 14-day mission. But his assignment, to grow superfoods in orbit, might be the most poetic of all.
He’s not mapping stars, he’s growing leaves, and in doing so, he’s writing a new kind of space story…one with roots.
1961: Yuri Gagarin sips meat purée through a toothpaste tube.
1969: Apollo 11 astronauts eat rehydrated beef and fruitcake.
2025: We’re cultivating live crops in orbit.
From powdered rations to living plants, we’ve come so far, I’m honestly so proud of us. The ISS already grows lettuce, zinnias, mustard greens, wheat, and even chili peppers in case you didn’t realize. These tiny gardens provide not only nutrition but mental comfort, a visual and emotional anchor in the sterile quiet of space. It’s like putting a potted plant in your cubicle at work, it brightens your day to feel a little more connected to nature, even though you’re really not.
When you’re 250 miles above Earth, orbiting in darkness, something green becomes everything.
There’s something wild and intimate about growing food in a place that cannot support life on its own. You’re not just feeding the body, you’re defying entropy.
Plants in space do something profound, they make oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, and anchor us in something natural. We’ve always had our lives deeply connected with everything around us in nature, so doesn’t it make sense we take it all with us when we leave?
If you could only plant one thing to represent your life on Earth, what would it be? A tomato from your grandfather’s garden or a sunflower from a wedding bouquet, maybe a sprig of lavender that reminds you to breathe when your mind starts to spiral.
This mission is a test, but it won’t be the last. India plans to send humans into orbit soon under Gaganyaan, and future lunar missions will need crop systems. Meanwhile, NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin are eyeing permanent off-world bases.
That means we’ll need plants that resist radiation, soil substitutes that hold water, and closed-loop food systems that don’t depend on Earth. Today’s seedling in orbit may become tomorrow’s moon garden, and from there, Mars, Europa, and beyond.
Wherever we go, we’ll bring our hunger and our hope.
