Design for Sustainability in Space: Future Nature

This issue examines the growing number of space agriculture projects aimed at maintaining greenhouses in a confined environment and under microgravity conditions, and observing the behaviour of plants. Many studies and researches in astrobotany have been developed since the 1920s and many advances have been made to develop gardens in microgravity until today. The most significant transformations are briefly described in this essay, with reference to ESA’s MELISSA, launched in the late 1980s and active for over 30 years, and NASA’s Veggie experiments until 2023. Design supports these projects by creating environments and tools that aim to make the International Space Station (ISS) sustainable according to the principles of the New European BauhausNew European Bauhaus project, both in terms of survival, as a food source for astronauts, and for the positive effects on their psycho-physiological system stimulated by contact with natureNature. The focus is on the idea of a new concept of “symbiotic relationship between humans and nature” developed by Space DesignSpace design Lab_PoliMi, with the support of European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Astronauts Center (EAC), to make extra-terrestrial habitats sustainable and beautiful to live in, by designing spaces and tools for the production, transformation, consumption and conservation of microalgae on the Moon, enhancing the entertainment values. Through the results of MSc course of space design Space4InspirAction (S4I) 6th edition, some case studies are presented that propose new extra-terrestrial habitats and tools to serve and support astronauts living and working on the Moon which can also be transferred on Earth as spin-offs. The concept of “symbiotic relationship between humans and natureNature” is innovative because it proposes a progressive interaction using specific objects and wearables that are designed for an immersive experience with nature.