Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW) shares gained sharply Thursday. The company, purporting to be a global leader in space and defence technology solutions, announced that it has been awarded a contract from Astrobiome Space S.à r.l., a Luxembourg-based biotech company pioneering microbiome solutions for regenerative space agriculture, to grow strawberries and test Astrobiome Space’s proprietary soil enhancement product inside Redwire’s Greenhouse systems on board the International Space Station (ISS).
This award marks the inaugural flight for Redwire’s trailblazing Greenhouse system—the world’s first commercial space greenhouse.
The Redwire Greenhouse provides a simple, scalable commercial solution for customers seeking to advance crop science from benchtop laboratory facilities to true production in space.
Along with supporting long-term NASA exploration plans, the Redwire Greenhouse will also provide unprecedented research opportunities for institutional and commercial customers with various plant science and industrial research goals.
The Greenhouse 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.
“For this inaugural mission,” says this morning’s news release, “Astrobiome Space's biostimulant -- developed from microbes adapted to the extreme space environments -- will be used to grow the first wild-strawberries ever cultivated in orbit. The product is expected to enhance the fruit's natural resilience and nutrient density, including higher levels of vitamin C, potassium, flavonoids, polyphenols, and antioxidants, bringing orbital crops closer to the quality of wild-grown produce on Earth.”
RDW shares hiked $2.32, or 12.5%, to $20.94.
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