NASA Plant Scientist Harvests Success in Antarctica

Header image: The German Neumayer III Station in Antarctica. Credits: NASA/Jess Bunchek

Ten polar explorers spent the Antarctic winter isolated at the German Neumayer III Station. The ‘overwintering’ process serves as an analog to conditions astronauts will face during long-duration space travel, such as a mission to Mars. A collaboration between NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) ensured fresh produce was available to the crew all winter.

When plant scientist Jess Bunchek leaves Antarctica early next year to return to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, she will be bringing back knowledge to benefit space exploration – along with memories that will last a lifetime!

Bunchek spent the last year living and working with fellow researchers at the remote German Neumayer III Station, growing fresh fruits and vegetables in the German Aerospace Center’s (DLR) EDEN ISS greenhouse.

Bunchek’s research furthered DLR’s goal of validating the greenhouse for advancing agriculture technologies in controlled environments. Her work will also inform NASA’s efforts to feed astronauts in space.

“Extreme cold, raging storms, and polar night make the Antarctic one of the most fascinating habitats on our planet, and these qualities also make it an ideal test site for growing vegetables under space-like conditions.”

The EDEN ISS greenhouse is a standalone structure located about 400 metres south of the Neumayer station. Bunchek and her crewmates had to learn to work around unanticipated technical issues, storms and frigid temperatures. 

There have been a few major storms over the past year; one had the highest winds ever recorded in the area. During the worst weather, Bunchek had to shelter in place at the station, unable to walk to the