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Experts look at possibility of growing tea in space

Kirk England
Environment and tourism correspondent, BBC South West
BBC A woman in a baseball cap and dark t short stands in a polytunnel. She is surrounded by small seedlings in pots on benches. She is smiling as she holds a young tea plant that is around 30cm high.BBC
Twelve young tea plants from Dartmoor will be placed in soil very similar to that found on the Moon and on Mars

Scientists are using plants from Devon to test whether it is possible to grow tea in space.

Seedlings cultivated near Ashburton have been planted in soils which are similar to those found on the Moon and Mars as part of a research project at the University of Kent.

The team said the aim was to be able to ultimately grow food in space for people who are based on space stations and the Moon in the future.

Jo Harper, who owns Dartmoor Estate Tea which provided the plants, said it was a "mind-blowing" idea.

'New age of space'

Prof Nigel Mason, who specialises in molecular physics at the University of Kent, said this could contribute to research into whether food can be grown in space.

He added: "We're moving into a new age of space, where we no longer just want to explore, but we want to settle space, we want to put people onto space stations and build bases on the Moon.

"As soon as you consider that, one of the first things you want to know is, 'what will people eat?'

"The fun part of the project is to to see whether we could grow things on the Moon, but a lot of the basic work is also about how crops and plants survive harsh environments and poor soils, and poor soils are a big problem with climate change."

Matthew Dickers/Caue Souza Two scientists are in a lab, looking at small tea plants that are in labelled pots. They are wearing white coats and blue plastic gloves. Matthew Dickers/Caue Souza
Researchers will monitor how the plants develop over the course of 30 days, with temperature, humidity and lighting controlled to mimic conditions in space

Researcher Anna-Marie Wirth, 22, said she thought it was "really cool" tea plants were being tested.

"Tea is a huge part of British culture and cultures around the world," she added.

Researchers will monitor how the plants develop over the course of 30 days, with temperature, humidity and lighting controlled to mimic conditions in space.

Plants have been grown in space before after a small food-growing trial by Italian and American scientists.

A man stands in a field of tea plants on a sunny day. He is wearing a dark T shirt and the plants are behind him.
Jo Harper of Dartmoor Estate Tea has provided young tea plants for the experiment

Kathryn Harper, from the Dartmoor Estate Tea, said people needed the drink, "even in space".

"If they're growing it themselves, then those on the International Space Station would have access to their daily brew, their daily cup of tea," she added.

The results of the experiment are expected in summer 2025.

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