A multidisciplinary team from Mahidol University in Thailand investigated whether Wolffia algae could serve as a scalable source of oxygen and nutrition for humans in space, including missions on Mars and other planetary bodies. The findings were summarized in communications from the European Space Agency, which highlighted potential applications for long-duration spaceflight and closed-loop life support systems.
Wolffia, part of the duckweed family, holds the distinction of being among the smallest flowering plants on Earth. In its native Southeast Asian waters, it is commonly consumed in soups and salads, admired for its rapid growth and high protein content. In laboratory settings, researchers are particularly interested in Wolffia because of its compact structure, ease of cultivation, and ability to absorb nutrients efficiently from its surroundings.
To simulate space habitat conditions, the algae were placed in a centrifuge to create a hypergravity environment equivalent to 20 times Earth’s gravity. This setup aimed to observe how a simple aquatic plant would manage stressors such as altered gravity, limited nutrients, and changes in atmospheric pressure. The project team monitored growth and vitality over a period that allowed comparisons between standard Earth gravity (1g) and the extreme simulated gravity. The initial results showed minimal differences in growth trajectories between 1g and the hypergravity condition, suggesting a remarkable resilience in Wolffia and its ability to maintain growth under varying gravitational forces. The researchers stressed the importance of extending the observation period to capture how Wolffia might adapt through multiple growth cycles under different gravity regimes. The project lead, Tatpong Thulyananda, emphasized that Wolffia’s brief life cycle is an advantage for rapid experimentation; by observing a complete life cycle in roughly five to ten days, teams can quickly assess viability for integrated life support applications and food production in space environments.
After two weeks of iterative testing, the team transformed samples of Wolffia into solid pellets for subsequent chemical analyses. This conversion process facilitates detailed evaluation of nutritional content, elemental composition, and the stability of bioactive compounds when subjected to space-like conditions. The pelletized material can then be used in controlled assays to determine how the algae respond to stressors such as radiation exposure, microgravity, and confinement. These steps are essential for validating Wolffia as a reliable feedstock for combined oxygen production and edible biomass in closed-loop life support systems.
Earlier investigations have explored the broader potential of algae as bioresources for space endeavors, including substances with antiviral properties and functional components that may support immune health. While the current work focuses on growth dynamics and practical use as a food and oxygen source, the broader field continues to examine how algae-derived materials could contribute to resilient, self-sustaining habitats beyond Earth. The implications of these studies extend to terrestrial applications as well, where controlled algae cultivation can inspire sustainable food production and environmental monitoring on Earth. Cited from ESA