UK-based vertical farming startup Vertical Future may revolutionize space agriculture with the help of a cutting-edge technology. It has been granted a fund of £1.5 million by the UK Space Agency to establish an autonomous farm in the orbit.
This is the first time that an innovative veggie garden will be installed aboard the commercial space station, which is currently under construction by Axiom Space, in 2026. It will be an ideal testing ground for growing fruits, vegetables and pharmaceuticals in microgravity thereafter.
Dr. Jen Bromley, Chief Scientific Officer at Vertical Future, emphasized the significance of plant-growing facilities in the space. He highlighted the crucial role of it in future space missions.
Vertical Future is headquartered in London and basically is specialized in designing, manufacturing as well as deploying fully-robotic vertical farms. Its farms use LED lights and robotic systems to nurture crops efficiently. It is equipped with features like seed treatment and harvesting.
However, the mission is not free from challenges. Watering and feeding the plants in microgravity are the two major challenges. The startup is exploring innovative solutions for the purpose. It is using specialized “pillows” to contain liquid for plant growth. The development is based on a similar research conducted by NASA earlier to automate the process for space farming.
Space agriculture is not just about providing nutrition to astronauts. Freshly grown produce simultaneously offers psychological benefits to them and also addresses health concerns during long-duration space missions. Vertical Future has plans of deploying the first space farm prototype this year.
The startup is also refining its vertical farming technology here on Earth. It is mainly focused in making vertical farming more accessible and sustainable.
