To the farm, Mars, and beyond: Technologies for growing food in space, the future of long-duration space missions, and earth implications in English news media coverage

The climate crisis, natural resource exploitation, and concerns around how to feed a growing world population have resulted in chorus identifying the need for Plan B. For some, this B entails preparing long-duration space missions development of human settlement on Mars. To plan missions, food production technologies that can withstand extreme conditions such as poor soil, lack gravity, radiation are increasingly prioritized. These may include genetic engineering, digital agriculture, 3D bioprinting, synthetically grown meat more. Government corporate proponents missions—NASA SpaceX, among others—are actively funding agricultural research space. They argue developed will positive implications beyond Mars—directly benefitting Earth its inhabitants. This paper demonstrates news reporting technology has been overall uncritical. Media narratives surrounding issues growth not studied. study analyzes English media coverage ( n = 170) from 67 publications report feasibility settlements, high-tech technologies. We provide cross-section types being covered, key organizations actors field, critical analysis narratives. Using mixed methods content discourse analysis, finds overwhelmingly portray both inevitable good humanity. Without critically assessing societal vis-à-vis their benefits Earth, we risk glossing over systemic structural inequalities system.