Float Around and Grow Plants at the International Space Station With NASA's Gaming App

A screenshot from NASA's gaming app "Space Science Investigations: Plant Growth"

A gaming app named "Space Science Investigations: Plant Growth" , that allows you to virtually float around the International Space Station (ISS), meet the crew and even grow plants using your smartphone has been launched by NASA. 

The game, which is available for free installation in Google Play Store and App Store, engages players to complete certain tasks, the first of which requires them to navigate the ISS's micro- gravity, or "zero- g" environment by flying around the space station and doing flips.

Users can then float up to astronaut and ISS crew member Naomi in the "Columbus" European Lab to gather explanations  on the game's leading mission: experimental plant growth.

Slash Gear reported that the gaming app can be helpful to players in gaining an understanding of the issues that micro gravity presents for growing plants, such as how they can be watered without gravity. 

For long has  NASA worked on growing plants in a low gravity environment, which is a necessity to serve the purpose of providing food during long duration flights, such as to Mars, as well as in habitation pods on other planets.

ISS researchers have already had some success, such as growing red romaine lettuce and the flower Zinnia.