"President's Choice" May 30, 2023
Establishment of the "Research Center for Space Agriculture and Horticulture": Creating an International Hub for High-efficiency Resource-Recycling Food Production System"
In January of this year, Chiba University established the Space Horticultural Research Center at the Graduate School of Horticulture. On May 17, the opening ceremony and commemorative symposium were held at the Matsudo Campus.
The purpose of this center is to address food production challenges in space environments and on the lunar surface. With the promotion of the "Artemis Program" under the Basic Plan for Outer Space, it is projected that by the 2030s, approximately 100 to 1,000 individuals will explore and inhabit outer space and the moon. Ensuring a safe and sustainable human presence and activities in these environments requires research and development of a high-efficient food production and supply system and resource-circulating food production. The application of Chiba University's expertise in closed-system cultivation techniques holds great potential for advancing human survival techniques in outer space.
In the field of space, our endeavors to achieve a sustainable food supply by applying advanced agriculture and biotechnology are considered groundbreaking on a global scale. These cutting-edge technologies being developed for extreme environments, such as lunar surfaces, not only contribute to the practical implementation of space habitation but also hold great promise for expanding into zero-emission technologies for agriculture and various industries. They have the high potential to be utilized as effective means of food production, recycling, and environmental conservation in terrestrial agriculture as well.
[Background]
・ It is projected that approximately 100 to 1,000 people will reside on the moon in the 2030s.
・ Exploration and habitation of the lunar surface, including initiatives like the "Artemis Program" outlined in the Basic Plan for Outer Space, are currently underway both domestically and internationally.
・ JAXA is conducting research on cultivation technology, unmanned systems, and recycling methods in order to realize the concept of a "moon farm."
・ Ensuring food supply is a crucial issue, and the importance of resource recycling in food production has been highlighted.
・ Food production is listed in the roadmap of the Overall Scenario for Japanese Space Exploration (draft) 2021 (prepared by JAXA and released on April 27, 2022).
・ There are high expectations for the application of closed-system cultivation technology developed at the Graduate School of Horticulture to enhance human survival techniques in outer space.
▷【Research Center for Space Agriculture and Horticulture】
Left: Center Director Takahashi, President Nakayama, and Dean Matsuoka with a signboard handwritten by the President
Right: Group shot
Mr Shirakawa (Left) and Mr Higashibata (Right) from Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, JAXA
Center Director Takahashi (left) and Group Leader Goto (right)
