{"id":14755,"date":"2024-04-09T14:24:26","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T14:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1405549"},"modified":"2024-04-09T14:24:26","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T14:24:26","slug":"autonomous-vertical-farming-startup-to-grow-crops-in-space-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=14755","title":{"rendered":"Autonomous vertical farming startup to grow crops in space in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A vertical farming startup from the UK is taking its technology to new heights.  <\/span><\/p>\n

The UK Space Agency has awarded Vertical Future \u00a31.5mn to build an autonomous<\/a> farm in orbit. The high-tech veggie garden will be installed on <\/span>the world\u2019s first commercial space station. <\/span><\/p>\n

Currently being constructed by US-based Axiom Space, the station is due to open its doors to eager astronauts in 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

Space stations are an ideal testing ground for growing fruit, veggies, and even pharmaceuticals in microgravity. The lessons learnt here will likely be critical to feeding hungry humans once (<\/span>if?<\/span><\/i>) we set up shop on the Moon or Mars.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThe further we go into space, the more we will need to produce while we\u2019re there, be it food, biomaterials, or medicines,\u201d Dr Jen Bromley, chief scientific officer at Vertical Future, told TNW. \u201c<\/span>Plant-growing facilities are seen as a part of the solution.<\/span>\u201d   <\/span><\/p>\n

Headquartered in London, Vertical Future designs, manufactures, and deploys fully-robotic vertical farms. The plants are grown under LED lights in metal boxes stacked on a shelving system towering several metres high. <\/span><\/p>\n

Robots \u2014 capable of moving up and down and left to right \u2014 keep the crops healthy. Everything from seed treatment to harvesting is fully automated. <\/span><\/p>\n

Adapting the farms for space <\/b><\/h2>\n

In space<\/a>, Vertical Future\u2019s system will need to overcome a whole new set of challenges. \u201cThe main issue is watering and feeding [the plants],\u201d said Bromley. \u201cIn microgravity, any fluid movement needs to be carefully controlled as water doesn\u2019t pool the same way it does on Earth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Vertical Future is exploring using a kind of \u201cpillow\u201d that will safely <\/span>contain the liquid for use by the plants.<\/span> This builds upon previous research at NASA where astronauts manually injected the pillows with fertirrigant (fertiliser mixed with water). <\/span>The startup<\/a> will now work on automating the process. <\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/i><\/a>Vertical Future\u2019s stacked farming system will need a few adjustments before it can work in microgravity. Credit: Vertical Future<\/figcaption>