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The review article “Space Agriculture: A Comprehensive Systems-Level Review of Challenges and Opportunities,” led by Ehsan Fazayeli, has been featured as the cover article of Volume 15, Issue 24 of Agriculture (MDPI).
This cover feature recognizes the article’s broad, systems-level contribution to the field of space agriculture at a time when long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars are becoming increasingly realistic. The review brings together research from planetary science, plant biology, space systems engineering, biotechnology, robotics, and controlled-environment agriculture to address the complex challenge of producing food in extreme, resource-limited environments.
Rather than focusing on individual technologies in isolation, the paper emphasizes the importance of integrated food-production systems that combine crops, growth environments, sensors, automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). This holistic perspective is essential for building resilient and reliable agricultural systems that can support human life beyond Earth, while also informing sustainable, resource-efficient farming practices on Earth.
Cover Story: The cover image illustrates a conceptual representation of agriculture on the surface of Mars, where plant production must operate under extreme environmental, biological, and operational constraints, including reduced gravity, elevated radiation, limited resources, and non-Earth atmospheric conditions. Within a sealed controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) habitat, crops are sustained through hydroponics, spectrum-controlled LED lighting, robotics, sensors, and automated regulation of temperature, humidity, water, nutrients, and gas exchange. Together, these elements highlight the tightly coupled, system-level nature of space agriculture. The image further emphasizes how insights from extraterrestrial cultivation—particularly closed-loop design, automation, and resource efficiency—can inform resilient agricultural solutions for extreme and resource-limited environments on Earth.
Read the full article: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/24/2541
Explore the full issue: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/24
Date: 12/19/2025