Astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS) have been successful in growing edible red romaine lettuce in space. This space-grown vegetable has been tested to be free of microbes as well, thus making it a healthier choice.
Crux of the Matter
Astronauts cultivated the red romaine lettuce with the help of Vegetable Production System called “Veggie” . The process of cultivating vegetables in space started in the year 2014. The “Veggie” is equipped with an LED lighting chamber and watering system. It takes nearly 33-56 days to grow lettuces.
The ability to grow food in a sustainable system that is safe for crew consumption will become critical as NASA moves towards longer missions. Salad-type, leafy greens can be grown and consumed fresh with few resources. – Dr Christina Khodadad, Researcher at the Kennedy Space Center
The crew found that the composition of the space-grown lettuce was similar to earth-grown lettuce. This important achievement may completely change the course of space missions in the future. Generally, astronauts use processed and packaged food for their survival in space. But with advancements such as this, space agencies like NASA, ISRO and others can now think of longer space missions.
How does your garden grow? On the #ISS, 'Veggie' is installed & set to grow test food in space http://t.co/av5k8JtLox pic.twitter.com/Sux5n1xePX — NASA (@NASA) May 10, 2014
Curiopedia
Vegetable Production System (Veggie)– The Vegetable Production System (Veggie) is a plant growth system developed and used by NASA in outer space environments. The purpose of Veggie is to provide a self-sufficient and sustainable food source for astronauts as well as a means of recreation and relaxation through therapeutic gardening. Veggie was designed in conjunction with ORBITEC and is currently being used aboard the International Space Station, with another Veggie module planned to be delivered to the ISS in 2017.
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