Rice Project Aims to Nourish Future Space Explorers

Scientists are working on a new project, Moon-Rice, to engineer rice that can thrive in space environments, providing astronauts with fresh, nutritious food and psychological well-being during long missions.

Challenges of Space Food

Current space missions rely on pre-prepared meals, often lacking fresh ingredients. A reliable source of nutrient-rich food is essential to combat the negative health effects of space, according to plant biologist Marta Del Bianco at the Italian Space Agency.

The Moon-Rice Solution

The Moon-Rice project seeks to create an ideal crop for long-term space habitation, such as bases on the Moon or Mars. “Living in space is all about recycling resources and living sustainably,” says Del Bianco. “We are trying to solve the same problems that we face here on Earth.”

A major challenge is crop size. Dr. Del Bianco notes that even dwarf rice varieties are too large for space. “What we need is a super-dwarf, but this comes with its own challenges,” she explains, as dwarf varieties often have poor seed germination due to manipulation of the gibberellin hormone.

Collaborative Effort

The Moon-Rice project involves the Italian Space Agency and three universities: the University of Milan (rice genetics), the University of Rome ‘Sapienza’ (crop physiology), and the University of Naples ‘Federico II’ (space crop production), according to Dr. Del Bianco. The four-year project is in progress with promising preliminary results. Nine months in, researchers at the University of Milan are isolating mutant rice varieties growing to only 10 cm tall.

Maximizing Production and Nutritional Value

Researchers in Rome have identified genes to alter plant architecture for maximum growth efficiency. Since meat production is inefficient in space, the team aims to increase rice’s protein content by enhancing the embryo-to-starch ratio.

Simulating Microgravity

Dr. Del Bianco‘s research focuses on how rice plants adapt to microgravity. “We simulate micro-gravity on Earth by continually rotating the plant so that the plant is pulled equally in all directions by gravity… It doesn’t know where the up and down is,” she says, explaining that true microgravity experiments are complex and costly.

Psychological and Practical Benefits

Beyond nutrition, fresh food offers psychological benefits for astronauts. “Watching and guiding plants to grow is good for humans… it could become a concern for longer-duration missions,” Dr. Del Bianco observes.

Astronauts need to be in top condition, and a nourishing environment reduces stress and errors. According to NASA, the psychological effects of long-duration spaceflight can include depression, anxiety, and even cognitive decline (NASA.gov).

Earthly Applications

The Moon-Rice project has implications for growing crops in extreme environments on Earth. “If you can develop a robust crop for space, then it could be used at the Arctic and Antarctic poles, or in deserts, or places with only a small amount of indoor space available,” notes Dr. Del Bianco.

This research was presented at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Antwerp, Belgium on July 9th, 2025.