growth systems has been optimizing nutrient delivery systems. There are a number of nutrient delivery methods currently utilized (both on Earth and in low gravity). Substrate dependent methods include traditional soil cultivation, zeoponics, agar, and nutrient-loaded ion exchange resins. In addition to substrate dependent cultivation, many methods that don't use soil have been developed including the nutrient film technique, ebb and flow, aeroponics, and many others. Because of their high nutrient solution throughput hydroponic systems can produce rapid plant growth. This necessitates large water volumes and substantial recycling of the solution which makes controlling solutions more difficult in microgravity conditions. To deliver nutrients aeroponic systems use hydro-atomized sprays that minimize water use, increase root oxygenation, and produce excellent plant growth. The nutrient solution throughput of aeroponic systems is higher than in other systems developed to operate in low gravity. Aeroponics' elimination of substrates and the need for large nutrient stockpiles reduce the amount of waste material that needs to be processed by other life support systems. The removal of the need for a substrate also simplifies planting and harvesting (making automation easier), decreases the weight and volume of expendable materials, and eliminates a potential pathogen transmission pathway. These advantages demonstrate the potential of aeroponic production in microgravity and the efficient production of food in outer space. NASA inflatable aeroponics In 1999, NASA funded development of an inflatable low-mass aeroponic system (AIS) for space and Earth high performance food production. AIS is a self-contained, self-supporting, inflatable aeroponic crop production system capable of controlling nutrient/mist delivery to the plant roots. Being an inflatable structure, AIS is lightweight, and can be deflated to take up less volume during transportation and storage. The current iteration of AIS improved upon the previous design that used rigid structures, which are more expensive to manufacture and transport. On Earth, expensive materials and transportation may hinder the economic feasibility of aeroponic systems for commercial growers. However, such obstacles become magnified when considering payload mass for space transportation. Due to the mass and volume restraints, NASA developed specialized materials for inflatable habitats and structures to withstand the space environment. These aramid-like materials are currently being used to develop Bigelow Aerospace's expandible habitats. One of Bigelow's Expandable Activity Modules has been successfully tested in space. Benefits of aeroponics for earth and space Aeroponics possesses many characteristics that make it an effective and efficient means of growing plants. Less nutrient solution