Development of sustainable agriculture on Mars is a critical step towards its colonisation. However, Martian regolith is coarse-grained, and its mineral profile differs significantly from that of terrestrial arable soil, resulting in poor seed germination success and stunted plant development. This study investigates whether germination success and plant growth can be improved by exposing seeds and plants to water enriched with either i) biochemically active reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generated by atmospheric pressure plasma (PAW) or (ii) nano-/micro-bubbles and minerals such as potassium and calcium extracted from Aquapulse^® feldspar (APW), a type of rock that is readily available on Mars, at different stages of the crop lifecycle. As a crop model, microgreen crops of B. oleracea and M. sativa are chosen for their short growth cycle, low resource requirements, and high nutritional value. For B. oleracea crops, soaking of seeds in PAW followed by irrigation with APW led to an increase in germination by ~566.7%, in biomass by 412.4%, and in chlorophyll content by 17.7% compared to crops grown using normal water for seed soaking and irrigation. For M. sativa crops, the use of APW for soaking and irrigation yielded an increase of 41.7% in seed germination and 45.2% in crop biomass, whereas the use of PAW for both soaking and irrigation resulted in the greatest improvement in seed germination, 41.7%, when compared to control. These results suggest that, with further optimisation, a regiment of treatment with PAW and APW in place of normal water can be used to address stage-specific challenges of the crop lifecycle in Martian regolith. As amending Martian regolith with a minimum of 1% organic matter is required to promote healthy plant development, further studies should investigate the use of plasma-mediated reforming of biowaste for in situ production of e.g., biochar.

Atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit erodes polyimide, increasing surface roughness and degrading performance. The reactive species scission polymer chains and remove surface material, exposing fresh sites that accelerate further attack and disrupt thermal, electrical, and mechanical functions. In this paper, we evaluate nanoscale reinforcements of polyimide with graphene and metal oxides under controlled atomic oxygen exposure equivalent to 145 days at a 550 km orbit. Graphene with a thickness of few nanometers and particle size less than 2 µm, and metal oxides zirconia, zinc oxide, and titania with particle size less than 100 nm were investigated. Hybrids containing graphene plus metal oxide at a 1:1 ratio and a total loading of 0.75 wt% increased roughness relative to neat polyimide, with graphene-zirconia showing a rise of +121 percent, graphene-zinc oxide +10 percent, and graphene–titania +20 percent. The behavior is consistent with agglomeration, incomplete dispersion, and interfacial mismatch that hinder uniform blocking of atomic oxygen and limit formation of protective oxygenated groups. In contrast, single-filler composites at 0.75 wt% reduced average roughness, with graphene lowering S_a by about 59 percent, zirconia by about 51%, titania by about 47%, and zinc oxide by about 47%. Varying graphene loading from 0.25 to 0.75 wt% diminished erosive features at the higher end, but atomic force microscopy revealed isolated tall peaks at 0.75 wt%, indicating localized restacking or agglomeration. Mechanical testing of graphene-reinforced coatings on fiberglass showed a similar trade-off, with tensile strength around 23 MPa and peak load greater than 50 N at 0.5 wt% compared to about 21 MPa and 40 N at 0.75 wt%, while strain at break remained comparable. These results define practical limits for nanoparticle reinforcement in polyimide, linking filler identity, loading, and dispersion quality to atomic oxygen response and sustained function in LEO.