Why this space station started using Plantui smart gardens in their Moon habitat?

As space agencies and private organizations push further into long-duration space missions – whether to the Moon, Mars, or beyond – one question becomes more urgent: how do we feed humans in space? As shown by NASA and other space agencies operating on the International Space Station, transporting food from Earth is expensive and wholly impractical for long-term space missions.

This is one of the reasons for the surge in indoor farming technologies in the past decade or so – space agencies are in need for technologies that can grow fresh, and nutritious food, not only on their Moon and Mars bases, but also inside future space stations. These kinds of controlled, and self-contained gardening technologies are no longer just an interesting idea – smart gardens are rapidly becoming an essential part of building sustainable life-support systems in space. This is also where Plantui comes in.

The benefits of automatic smart gardens for space research

Automatic smart gardens are compact and efficient ways to grow fresh food in small spaces with limited amount of resources available. Smart gardening technologies like those behind Plantui require minimal human intervention – making them ideal for harsh, isolated environments like space stations and analog research habitats.

Some of the key advantages of  smart gardens include:

• Low maintenance: Automated light and watering systems reduce the need for constant human attention
• Reliable plant growth: Optimized settings for light, nutrients, and hydration ensure consistent results
• Compact design: Smart gardens can be scaled to fit small living environments
• Year-round yield: Independent of weather, seasons, or outdoor conditions
• Psychological benefits: Caring for plants and seeing greenery in confined environments supports mental well-being

How Plantui connects with the space industry

The technology inside Plantui smart gardens is grounded in the same principles that NASA pioneered for growing food in space. Hydroponics – growing plants without soil using water-based nutrient solutions – was developed by NASA to support astronauts on long-duration space missions. Today, Plantui brings this cutting-edge technology into homes, research stations, and now, space analog habitats.

With its fully automated lighting, watering, and nutrient delivery system, Plantui replicates ideal growing conditions for a wide range of plants in any environment. That makes it a powerful tool not only for home gardeners, but for space researchers exploring how we might grow food on Mars or the Moon.

What is LunAres?

LunAres Research Station is an analog habitat located in Poland that simulates living and working conditions on the Moon or Mars. It provides researchers with an isolated, controlled environment where they can test technologies and strategies for future missions – everything from crew dynamics to life-support systems.

Each LunAres mission includes a carefully planned simulation of isolation, resource constraints, and limited contact with the outside world, offering invaluable insights into the psychological and physiological challenges of long-term space travel.

How LunAres has been using Plantui

During their latest missions, LunAres integrated Plantui smart gardens into their analog habitat as part of their life-support system. The goal was two-fold:

• To explore how automated indoor farming could contribute to food production in a resource-limited, isolated environment.
• To explore the psychological and emotional effects of having access to fresh plants during long periods of confinement.

Initial feedback from crew members has been overwhelmingly positive. The ability to grow fresh greens with minimal effort, even in a sealed habitat, offered a sense of normalcy, comfort, and even joy – valuable assets when you’re living in a high-stress, high-tech environment.

Why this matters—for Earth and beyond

The collaboration between LunAres and Plantui isn’t just about space. It’s about solving some of the biggest food challenges we face here on Earth. Whether it’s building resilience in extreme climates, reducing food miles, or improving urban food security, the technologies being tested in space analog missions have real-world impact.

And for Plantui users at home? You’re using the very same hydroponic technology that’s helping researchers imagine the future of life in space.