Later this year, NASA's Vegetable Production System (VEGGIE) program will send astronauts in the International Space Station station kits to grow six romaine lettuce plants. After 28 days growing under pink LED lights, the plants will be ready to harvest.
The experiment comes after astronaut Don Pettit successfully grew a zucchini while staying on the space station. But astronauts won't be allowed to eat the crops just yet. The first harvest will be sent back to Earth for testing. The vegetables will be inspected for bacteria and cleanliness.
After the first crop of lettuce, vegetables such as radishes and snap peas could be the next to grow is space. As the program advances, NASA will need to address how to grow and manage more complicated crops. Potatoes are easy to grow and store, but aren't appetizing raw; wheat would require extra equipment and preparation before it could be consumed.
Growing food in space could be a more cost-effective way to feed orbiting astronauts. It costs about $10,000 to send one pound of food from Earth to the space station.
The mission may also provide a form of therapy for astronauts. NASA is advancing research that tending to a garden will help astronauts cope with the isolation of space and give them a small remembrance of home.
Source: Mashable
Announcements
Vacancies
- Head Grower Strawberries, Australia
- Growing Manager for Hydroponic strawberry producer
- Farm Manager Costa Rica
- Regional Sales Manager Fresh Produce
- Head Grower Strawberries, Norway
- Export Trade Manager
- Business Developer - Northern Europe
- Orchard Sector Manager
- Grower
- International Citrus Account Manager
NASA is set to grow produce 230 miles above Earth's soil
Publication date:
Receive the daily newsletter in your email for free | Click here
Other news in this sector:
- 2023-09-25 Chinese scientists work to design tomatoes suitable for mechanical harvesting
- 2023-09-25 New joint-venture addresses shading, coatings, and cleaning products
- 2023-09-22 'Collaboration succeeds in growing saline plants using saltwater sources'
- 2023-09-22 Climate change positive for tomato cultivation in Lebanon's high mountains
- 2023-09-22 "The cold winter weather in our area allows us to completely cut the cycle of the tomato virus"
- 2023-09-21 Chinese taikonauts harvest space vegetables aboard Tiangong space station
- 2023-09-21 Nitrogen and potassium key to nutrient uptake
- 2023-09-20 Low nitrate nutrition for new strawberry product
- 2023-09-20 US: USDA invests $200k in Oklahoma aquaponics program
- 2023-09-20 Photo report: Propagation professionals unite during knowledge exchange event
- 2023-09-19 Tunnel Farm: one of the few cases of underground 'indoor vertical farming' in the world
- 2023-09-18 CAN (AB): GoodLeaf's Calgary vertical farm in full production
- 2023-09-18 Enza Zaden's 19th Gemüsebau Feldtag focused on resistance
- 2023-09-18 Bringing Dutch greenhouses to southern Italy
- 2023-09-15 "I want to bring life back into horticulture"
- 2023-09-15 Growers maximize greenhouse efficiency with polycarbonate
- 2023-09-14 US (CA): Grant expands the SCOPE of organic ag education
- 2023-09-14 Positive outlook for California lettuce supply
- 2023-09-14 There will be smaller quantities of Italian strawberries this Christmas
- 2023-09-12 Problematic summer for Babyleaf in Italy and winter doesn't sound promising either
