National Science Week 2026: Plants for Space
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Blast off into space science and discover how scientists are growing food for future space missions!
Plants for Space (UWA), an Australian research centre exploring how to grow food for long-duration space missions, is landing at the Museum of Geraldton for two days of free hands-on space science during National Science Week 2026!
Visit Cosmic Echoes: A Shared Sky Indigenous Art Exhibition for inspiration, before rolling up your sleeves and diving headfirst into one of our exciting labs and workshops for a deliciously hands-on science experience.
Places are limited, and bookings are essential. See the program below!
Program
Space Salad Wet Lab (Ages 12+) | Tuesday 11 August, 9.30am – 11.30am
Explore the science behind growing food in space and build your very own space salad – before putting it to the nutrient test to find out exactly what’s in it. You will test for protein, hunt for starch, detect fat and investigate fibre. Grind, mix, squirt and discover if your salad could fuel a mission to Mars.
Moon Base Challenge (Ages 12+) | Tuesday 11 August, 1pm – 3pm
Your crew has landed on the moon. Oxygen us limited, water is scarce and your team is hungry. What do you grow first? Working in teams, you will tackle one of the most complex puzzles in modern space science: Designing a sustainable food system for a lunar base. Weigh up which plants grow the fastest with the least resources, which crops pack the most nutrition per centime, how you can use water, light and space efficiently and most importantly, how you can keep your crew fed, happy and mission-ready.
Green Juice Wet Lab (Ages 12+) | Wednesday 12 August, 9.30am – 11.30am
Welcome to the molecular space kitchen, where you will discover the science behind feeding astronauts on long-duration space missions. Make noodles from fresh spinach and red cabbage then use a technique called alginate spherification to transform your ingredients into something weird, wonderful and wildly delicious. Warning: you may never look at a green juice the same way again…
Design Your Plant Workshop (all ages) | Wednesday 12 August, 1pm – 3pm
If you could redesign a plant from scratch for life in space, which superpower would you give it? Tougher roots? Leaves that glow? Fruit that grows in zero gravity? This is your chance to find out, then build it! In teams, you will debate, discuss and defend which traits matter most for astronaut survival, wellbeing and mission success then design and build the perfect space specimen with craft materials.
Drop-In Discovery Days (no booking needed, all ages) | Tuesday 11 & Wednesday 12 August, 9.20am – 3pm
How do you cook up the perfect light recipe for space crops? How do you keep a plant alive with almost no resources? How does a plant know which way to grow when there’s no gravity? Find out by exploring our epic challenge stations, where you will:
- Plate up a real duckweed petri dish
- Nail the pipette challenge (steadiest hand wins!)
- Take on the Space Garden Farmer digital game
- Dare yourself with an astronaut mystery sensory test
- Spy on plants up-close through a real microscope
Then dream, design and build your own space plant for our giant Astro Garden!
Related exhibitions
Wajarri Yamaji and South African Indigenous artists explore creativity at the intersection of modern science and ancient wisdom.
