Redwire is Growing Strawberries in Space

Redwire Corporation announced it has been awarded a contract from Astrobiome Space S.à r.l., a Luxembourg-based biotech company, to grow wild strawberries and test Astrobiome Space’s proprietary soil enhancement product within Redwire’s Greenhouse systems on the International Space Station (ISS). This initiative marks the inaugural flight for Redwire’s commercial space greenhouse, a system designed to provide scalable solutions for advancing crop science and food production in space. Astrobiome Space will use a biostimulant, developed from microbes adapted to extreme space environments, to enhance the strawberries' resilience and nutrient density, including higher levels of vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants, aiming to replicate the quality of wild-grown produce on Earth. Test crops are set to begin growing on Earth in June, in preparation for the ISS flight.

The contract announcement on June 4, 2026, significantly impacted Redwire's stock, with shares rising as high as $20.75, an increase of over 11%. This surge reflects growing investor interest in companies developing practical infrastructure for long-duration space operations and sustainable life support systems beyond Earth. While the specific dollar value of the contract was not disclosed, the market reaction underscored the perceived importance of such advancements in space agriculture.

Redwire's Greenhouse platform leverages flight-qualified plant growth technology, including the Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) devices developed in partnership with Tupperware Brands and currently operated by Redwire on the ISS. The system is designed to support not only fundamental research but also the practical cultivation of fresh food like strawberries and fungi in space. This capability is deemed essential for future long-duration missions and habitats on the Moon or Mars, and also offers valuable insights for improving agricultural practices on Earth. Astrobiome Space’s founder, Vera Mulyani, expressed a vision of bringing the taste of Earth’s wilderness to space missions.