evidence: NASA didn’t publish study on snake plants providing life-saving oxygen CLAIM: A NASA study found that six to eight snake plants in a room with no airflow is enough for human survival. The agency therefore recommends 15 to 18 plants for an 1,800-square-foot home. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The agency did not reach those conclusions or offer such recommendations, a spokesperson confirmed. The claim may be a distortion of a1989 NASA report focused on whether indoor plants can help clean the air, not sustain human life. An expert in plant biochemistry further said six to eight snake plants, as claimed, wouldn’t produce the level of oxygen required by a human in a day.