2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

NASA’s Artemis mission focuses on “Go, Land, Live, and Explore” the Moon, with sustaining life as a key challenge for future lunar settlements. Smart agriculture, which employs advanced automation to enhance crop productivity while reducing labor, is central to overcoming this challenge. This project explores the use of FarmBot, an open-source robotic farming system, and aeroponics, a soil-less cultivation method using Tower Garden technology. Integrating these technologies presents a scalable and innovative approach to space agriculture, with potential applications both on Earth and beyond. Over the past two years, 10 diverse STEM undergraduates (first-year to senior) and three exchange summer interns have engaged in hands-on research on sustainable lunar agriculture. They cultivated crops such as spinach, lettuce, Swiss chard, arugula, and basil in simulated lunar environments using FarmBot and Tower Garden systems. Learning objectives included (a) programming autonomous farming systems, (b) exploring lunar regolith simulants such as Lunar Highland Simulant 1 (LHS-1) and Mexico Lunar Mare 1 (MLM-1), (c) mastering aeroponics, and (d) developing skills in data collection, analysis, and research design.
Students were assessed on their ability to program FarmBot for automated watering and plant monitoring, as well as maintaining and troubleshooting the Tower Garden’s aeroponic systems. They formulated hypotheses, designed experiments, and analyzed key variables such as regolith concentration and watering schedules. Growth metrics, including leaf width and plant height, were collected and analyzed. Findings were communicated through written reports and oral presentations, strengthening their scientific communication skills. This program inspires STEM students to tackle space agriculture challenges, preparing them for leadership in space exploration and technological innovation. Through hands-on experimentation and critical analysis, participants gain the expertise needed to contribute to sustaining human life on long-term lunar and Martian missions.