Space plant biology, growing veggies in preparation for interplanetary travel

Guest speaker

Edward Rosenthal, BA 74, Doctor of Science, honoris causa (DSc), and his wife Betty co-founded Florikan ESA in 1982, growing the company from their garage into a leader in environmentally sustainable agriculture. A graduate of Sir George Williams University, one of Concordia’s founding institutions, Rosenthal invented Controlled Release Fertilizer, a technology that allows growers to set the exact timing for nutrient release under any conditions. In 2004, the innovation received the National Most Innovative New Product Award from the National Society of Professional Engineers.

NASA later adopted Controlled Release Fertilizer through its Space Plant Biology Program at the Kennedy Space Center, selecting it as the fertilizer used to grow vegetables on the International Space Station. In 2017, Rosenthal was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame for his contributions to space agriculture.