bio365 - First Growing Media in Space

On October 2, 2020, bio365’s BIOALL™ became the first growing media in history to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) – the ultimate controlled environment.

The research project was approved by NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which manages the International Space Station U.S. Lab.

ISS First in Space bio365 new image

“The fact that NASA and a team of researchers and scientists from Cornell University deemed bio365 growing media safe enough to use in the ultimate controlled environment – the International Space Station – is a testament to how clean our products are and proves our growing media is controlled environment bona fide.”

— Sean Meshorer, CEO of bio365

The Purpose of the Scientific Study

“A better understanding of fungal and bacterial structures and functions in soil could improve food production on Earth and in space.”

— NASA mission document

Humans must be able to grow their own food in order to live successfully on other planets in the future, even in enclosed bases. Healthy soil that provides the right amount of nutrients and drainage for crops will be essential.

To that end, a group of scientists from Cornell University, Norfolk Institute in Virginia, and the Zwillenberg-Tietz Foundation in Germany developed a scientific study to learn which types of growing media perform best in the unique environment of space.

This scientific project aimed to determine how the effects of being in space, different gravity, different radiation exposure, and other factors could affect soil and agriculture.

The scientists’ research would be used to identify which soil types are better choices for interplanetary agriculture and to understand if the results could change how we manage crops on Earth.

first in space loading rocket

“The biochar that bio365 uses is especially interesting due to its long-term and efficient nutrient delivery, which has been an open research question for scientists performing space agriculture experiments.”

— Morgan Irons, Cornell University, Soil and Crop Sciences
Bio365 First in Space media launch updated image via steve rice

Some of the many reasons why bio365 was chosen for this critical research project included its:

  • Cleanliness (compost-free)
  • Living biological activity
  • Water efficiency
  • Nutrient efficiency
  • Carbon sequestration through bio365’s bioCHARGE®
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“Shifts in soil management towards more sustainable practices promote the use of healthy living soils – those in which soil microbes and fauna actively participate to increase soil health. Such agricultural practices have been shown to reduce input costs, increase system productivity, and increase carbon sequestration in the soil. Obtaining knowledge that improves the efficiency and resiliency of soil is considered necessary for deploying such technologies to enable space exploration and enhance agricultural health on Earth.”

— Olivia Holzhaus, International Space Station Program Science Office