Growing Beyond Earth®

Growing Beyond Earth® (GBE) is a classroom-based citizen science program designed to advance NASA research on growing plants in space and to inspire the next generation of explorers. This is a global effort led by the U.S., with multiple mission milestones, involving international and commercial partners and citizen scientists, like yourself. As humans expand into space farther from Earth, the ability to grow sustainable food crops is a solution to a major challenge of long-duration, deep space missions.
Your work on Growing Beyond Earth will directly support NASA’s goals of feeding astronauts on the International
Space Station, Moon, and Mars by providing Crop Readiness Level-1 and -2 data to Dr. Gioia Massa
(Senior Scientist), Trent Smith (Research Advisor), and their Space Crop Production team at NASA Kennedy
Space Center.
There are many science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) challenges and solutions related to food
production in space that have applications on Earth. Growing Beyond Earth is also advancing technologies for growing plants in urban, indoor, and other resource-limited settings.
Established in 2015 as a partnership between Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Science Mission Directorate, Growing Beyond Earth is now underway in 500 middle and high schools from 48 U.S. states and 10 countries. GBE is unique in its focus on real scientific research, enabling student community scientists to actively contribute data toward NASA mission planning. Each classroom receives a Fairchild-designed plant habitat analogous to the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) on the International Space Station (ISS). Fairchild and NASA scientists train teachers to conduct GBE experiments with students and share their results with NASA
Growing Beyond Earth® (GBE) es un programa científico financiado federalmente diseñado para avanzar en la investigación de la NASA sobre el cultivo de plantas en el espacio e inspirar a la próxima generación de exploradores. Growing Beyond Earth contribuye al programa más grande de la NASA, Artemis. El programa Artemis guiará a la humanidad hacia adelante y establecerá bases permanentes en la Luna para facilitar misiones humanas a Marte. Este es un esfuerzo global liderado por EE.UU., con múltiples hitos de misión, involucrando socios internacionales y comerciales, así como científicos ciudadanos como tú. A medida que los humanos se expanden en el espacio más allá de la Tierra, la capacidad de cultivar cultivos alimentarios sostenibles es una solución a un gran desafío de las misiones espaciales de larga duración y profundas.
Tu trabajo en Growing Beyond Earth apoyará directamente los objetivos de la NASA de alimentar a los astronautas en la Estación Espacial Internacional, la Luna, Marte y más allá, proporcionando datos de Nivel-1 y -2 de Preparación de Cultivos al Dr. Gioia Massa (Científico Senior), Trent Smith (Asesor de Investigación) y su equipo de Producción de Cultivos Espaciales en el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA.
Existen numerosos desafíos y soluciones en ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas (STEM) relacionados con la producción de alimentos en el espacio que tienen aplicaciones en la Tierra. GBE también está avanzando en tecnologías para el cultivo de plantas en entornos urbanos, interiores y otros lugares con recursos limitados.
Establecido en 2015 como una asociación entre el Jardín Botánico Tropical Fairchild y la Dirección de Ciencia de la NASA, GBE ahora está en marcha en 500 escuelas secundarias y preparatorias de 48 estados y 10 países. GBE es único en su enfoque en la investigación científica real, permitiendo que los estudiantes-científicos comunitarios contribuyan activamente con datos hacia la planificación de misiones de la NASA. Cada aula recibe un hábitat para plantas diseñado por Fairchild, análogo al Sistema de Producción de Vegetales (Veggie) en la Estación Espacial Internacional (ISS). Los científicos de Fairchild y la NASA capacitan a los docentes para realizar experimentos de GBE con los estudiantes y compartir sus resultados con la NASA.
Announcements
Once again, we are blown away by our Student Scientists and what they were able to achieve this year!
Overall, over 250 students participated and were able to share their original research with judges from NASA, Blue origin, SyNRGY, Costa Farms, and other science experts.
Scores and feedback have been shared with each school. To view the scoring rubric for 2024-2025, please visit this link.
This year’s upcoming information sessions will be held at the following dates and times:
March 19th 5PM-6PM UTC-4 (Zoom)
April 16th 5PM-6PM UTC-4 (Zoom)
May 21st 5PM-6PM UTC-4 (Zoom)
June 11th 5PM-6PM UTC-4 (Zoom)
We will be adding a Saturday session and an early morning session for interested International Schools! If you are international and unable to attend one of these sessions, please reach out to GBE@fairchildgarden.org
The datasets from this year’s prescribed experiments are now available!
Check in next year for your Spring proposals!
Please refer to the dates below for this year’s Chat with a Scientist.
All Chats will take place via Zoom from 4:00-5:00 PM UTC-4.
Zoom links will be sent in the Growing Beyond Earth Monthly Newsletter.
October 17, 2024 (Recording)
November 14, 2024 (Recording)
January 22, 2025 (Recording)
February 20, 2025 (Recording)
March 13, 2025 (Recording)
Can’t make any of these dates? Use this form to write your questions and we will ask them live!
View previous sessions here: Chat with a Scientist
We will begin training teachers in September 2025, stay tuned for training dates.
You may fill out this Interest Form, which will add you to our mailing list when materials become available.
Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach or Monroe County Teacher?
Visit the Fairchild Challenge home page for more information about this and other Challenges.
Need more information, contact GBE@fairchildgarden.org

This website is based upon work supported by NASA Science Activation 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.
Este sitio web se basa en el trabajo respaldado por NASA Grant No. 80NCCS22M0125-SciAct. Todas las opiniones, hallazgos, conclusiones o recomendaciones expresadas en este material pertenecen a los autores y no reflejan necesariamente los puntos de vista de la Administración Nacional de Aeronáutica y del Espacio.
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