Growing Beyond Earth - Participating Schools- Map - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Participating Schools

2025-2026 Prescribed Research Experiments

Novel Crops:

Required for all new teachers, optional for returning teachers

28 day trial

Which selected plant cultivars grow best under our simulated International Space Station conditions?

In this trial, you will grow two of six cultivars new to the GBE program. These will be randomly selected for each school.

Cultivars: Papalo – Butterfly Form, Dwarf Nasturtium – Alaska Mix, Thai Basil – Thai Thai Prospera, Fennel – Hybrid F1 ‘Dragon’, Dwarf Grey Sugar Pea, Amaranth – White Beauty

Fruiting Crops:

Optional for returning teachers

70 day trial

Which selected fruiting plant cultivars grow best under our simulated International Space Station conditions under a longer growth period?

In this trial, you will grow one of three cultivars new to the GBE program. Unlike standard Novel Crops plants, these are grown for their fruits and require a longer growth period for harvest.

Cultivars: Tomato – Micro Tom, Tomato – Heartbreakers™ Dora Red Hybrid, Pepper – Buena Mulata

Neighboring Effect:

Optional for returning teachers

28 day trial

Do select companion plant strategies improve growth outcomes in previously tested cultivars under our simulated International Space Station conditions?

In this trial, you will grow two previously tested cultivars together to determine compatibility. Fennel is notoriously allelopathic, or known to harm other plants’ growth, but our preliminary testing suggests that this amaranth may be compatible.

Cultivars: Fennel – Grosfruchtiger, Amaranth – Garnet Red

Data Portal Link

Protocols Link

Water Stress:

Optional for returning teachers

~60 day trial (two 28 day trials)

Do select cultivars withstand both flood and drought stress under our simulated International Space Station conditions?

In this trial, you will grow a previously tested cultivar under both extreme drought conditions and extreme flood conditions to simulate water stress that may be experienced on the ISS. This experiment is modeled after active Kennedy Space Center research in the Advanced Plant Habitat system.

Cultivars: Round Red

Beets – Early Wonder Tall Top

Fertilizer Placement:

Optional for returning teachers

28 day trial

How do select cultivars respond to adjusted fertilizer placement under our simulated International Space Station conditions?

In this trial, you will compare plant growth with fertilizer placed at the bottom of the pot versus uniformly mixed throughout the growing media. This experiment is based on internal testing to determine what may be causing post-germination failure-to-thrive and led to unexpected results.

Cultivars: Red Romaine Lettuce- Outredgeous, Mizuna

FREQUENT Q&A FOR PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

Throughout the school year, we will add questions and answers to this list!

When will materials become available for GBE teachers?

Materials will go live on our Shopify on September 15th. These materials are strictly for participating GBE teachers. Training is required in order to participate in GBE. Materials are first come, first served.

How soon will materials be shipped out to teachers?

Once your order is placed through Shopify,it will ship within 4-7 business days. ***There have been several delays with fulfillment, both teams are working hard to ensure your materials arrive soon.

Is it too late to join GBE?

At this time, we are at capacity for new teachers to onboard for the 25-26 school year. Please join our Newsletter list to receive updates for the following year.

Where can I find the instructions for assembling my kit or setting up my experiment?

Link to Assembly tutorial

Link to protocols

Why did my kit not come with an SD card?

SD cards came pre-installed in your light panels. Please check the microSD card slot!

Will I be behind if I start my experiment after October 6th?

In the Data Portal, that is an arbitrary date, you can change your planting date to any time and start on your schedule!

Students participating in Growing Beyond Earth's 2024 Symposium

Who's Participating?

This website is based upon work supported by NASA Grant No. 80NCCS22M0125-SciAct. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

With generous support from:

Partners: