宇宙における植物栽培研究と求められる光技術

摘要

In Space life sciences, researches have been conducted to investigate the effects of microgravity on plants as well as animals. From such researches, we can obtain useful information about the cultivation of plants in space. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has developed compact cultivation equipments to investigate effects of microgravity on seed-to-seed life cycle of Arabidopsis. For future manned space exploration, we need to cultivate larger crops such as rice, wheat, peas, potato, and sweet potato on the surface of the Moon, Mars, and even asteroids. Newer techniques and facilities including the most advanced lighting method are required to establish continuous food production in space for long-term exploration. In this paper, we describe the history of plant cultivation research in space and discuss adequate lighting technology required for plant cultivation in space.