BVB Substrates in space?

Almost two years ago American space agency NASA approached us, because they wanted to learn more about one of our products. So, you probably wonder, why the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is interested in growing media by BVB Substrates?  Read on to learn about this product, and the project we’re working on with NASA.

After LaShelle Spencer from NASA visited our production site in De Lier last year, we have kept in touch. Since then, NASA has conducted multiple, promising tests using high-quality growing media by BVB Substrates. At this point they have researched multiple samples in different densities to get the best results. Last January we visited NASA’s facilities in Florida ourselves to catch up on the latest developments. Time to get into detail!

Is NASA sending BVB Substrates to space?

Well, not just yet. NASA is researching ways to provide astronauts with fresh food sources during a space mission. How could you get astronauts in the International Space Station or Mars for example to eat their veggies if they can’t just run to the grocery store? Probably the best way to reach this goal is to grow fresh crops in space. And that’s exactly what NASA is trying to do with growing media by BVB Substrates.

Researchers at NASA are working hard to try to find a good way to grow fresh vegetables, like tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots in space. Because the conditions in space are different from the ones we are used to on earth, it takes a lot of tests to find the best way to do this.

For example, when you water a plant on Earth, gravity influences the way a substrate drains water. It makes water typically flow down to the bottom of the substrate. This influence on the water flow is not present in space. The lack of gravity requires different growing methods. NASA is currently running multiple tests and using sensors to continuously measure the amount of water left in the substrate to find out whether the crop needs irrigation, or not.

Would you like to learn more about our visit to NASA in Florida? Expert Sales Manager Arjan Haasnoot can tell you all about it.