(Reuters) – Redwire Corporation said on Tuesday it would launch the first commercial space greenhouse in Spring next year to boost crop production research outside Earth and support exploration missions.

The space infrastructure company’s project will help deliver critical insights for NASA’s Artemis missions and beyond, said Dave Reed, Redwire’s manager for the greenhouse project.

The Artemis program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aims at sending astronauts to the moon and establishing a long-term lunar colony as a precursor to the eventual human exploration of Mars.

Commercial agricultural technology firm Dewey Scientific will be the company’s first customer, Redwire said, adding that the project will enhance humanity’s ability to grow crops in space.

The company’s products include a fully-automated plant growth system for conducting research in the International Space Station.

SOURCE REUTERS