Main content

Made in space

How answers to some of agriculture's biggest questions could be found beyond Earth

Why are companies blasting bottles of alcohol and crops into space? Are they just publicity stunts, or are there some serious scientific discoveries to be made?

We explore the potential of space when it comes to producing food and drink - not for astronauts or the first settlers on Mars, but by developing crops that could be more productive and more resistant to climate change here on Earth.

A NASA scientist tells Graihagh Jackson how microgravity on the International Space Station could be the key to unlocking the potential of many Earth crops, and a serial entrepreneur explains why he鈥檚 investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the idea in a bid to save Bordeaux wine.

Plus, we find out how space science has already helped us grow indoor crops and develop more efficient and environmentally friendly fertilisers.

(Picture: Planet Earth, composed by NASA images. Credit: Getty Images/成人论坛)

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 1 Mar 2020 08:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 27 Feb 2020 02:32GMT
  • Thu 27 Feb 2020 03:32GMT
  • Thu 27 Feb 2020 04:32GMT
  • Thu 27 Feb 2020 05:32GMT
  • Thu 27 Feb 2020 11:32GMT
  • Thu 27 Feb 2020 18:32GMT
  • Thu 27 Feb 2020 21:32GMT
  • Thu 27 Feb 2020 23:32GMT
  • Sun 1 Mar 2020 08:32GMT

Food Chain highlights

Tea, coffee, spices, chillies ... snack on a selection of programme highlights

Podcast