China Grows Wheat from Space-Harvested Seeds
Tuesday, September 29, 2026175 words3 minutes908 reads
China’s Tiangong space station is testing how plants can grow in orbit. The Astronaut Center of China says researchers have cultivated 14 plant species and more than 20 varieties there. The space garden includes lettuce, carrots, sunflowers, potatoes, and wheat.
Wheat is the standout experiment. It has already completed a full growing cycle in space, producing seeds. Researchers planted some of those seeds for a second round, and the new wheat was growing well and close to harvest when Xinhua reported on September 20. This means one space-grown crop has helped produce the next; it does not mean the station can yet feed its crew by itself.
The work may support longer missions, when regular deliveries from Earth become harder. Tiangong uses both substrate culture and aeroponics. In aeroponics, roots hang without ordinary soil and receive water and nutrients as a mist. Researchers are also studying ways to recycle air and water and to grow food in a controlled system. China says it hopes to develop a vegetable garden on the Moon in the future.
