Benefits for Humanity: Farming from Space

The International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) hardware in the Destiny laboratory of the space station helps farmers monitor crop growth for disease or fertility differences.

From outer space to the wide open spaces of farmland in Crookston, Minn., the benefits originating from International Space Station research and technology stretch far and wide. The space station provides a microgravity environment for researchers to conduct multidisciplinary investigations, for educators to inspire next generation scientists and engineers, and to serve as a stepping stone to future exploration that was not possible just 15 years ago.  A few of the many benefits provided by research performed on the space station are highlighted in NASA’s new video feature “Benefits for Humanity.”
In Crookston, A.W.G. Farms Inc. is leveraging images from the International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) to grow sugar beets, spring wheat, sunflowers and soybeans. The Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium, led by the University of North Dakota, operates ISSAC from Earth to help farmers like Gary Wagner monitor crop growth for disease or fertility differences.
ISSAC, unaffected by cloud cover, captures frequent images of the Earth in visible and infrared light, which are necessary for relaying information on biomass. Biomass images provide data on crop growth, and more biomass means more crop yield potential. Delivering these images to farmers more rapidly than previous remote sensing technology, Wagner called ISSAC a “tool we can use as a reference to be able to make better decisions and by doing that, our farm is more profitable, and that to me is very important.”
This is one of the many examples of the impact of space station research on the lives of the people on Earth. With its 15-year anniversary in 2013 and continued operations until at least 2020, and likely beyond, there are many more benefits to look forward to from space station research. The space station has the potential to improve and change lives on Earth with each investigation and technology test that takes place in orbit. With collaboration from the original international partnerships to the insights of inventors and integrators of the research and technology on the ground, we can anticipate continued space station benefits for humanity.