Growing Vegetables in Space

Can you imagine living in an environment without fresh produce and flowers? NASA realizes that plants are important for both their aesthetic and practical reasons. 

Plants are just as important to mental and physical well-being in space as they are on earth. So NASA and astronauts on the space station are conducting a variety of plant related experiments. They need to overcome the challenge of growing plants in a closed environment that lacks sunlight and earth’s gravity.

Astronauts have successfully grown three types of lettuce, Chinese cabbage, mustard, red Russian kale and zinnia flowers in a Vegetable Production System they call Veggie. Each plant is grown in a pillow of growing media and fertilizer. LEDs provide needed light and help orient the plant growth in the absence of gravity.

A bit more information: Astronauts ate some of the vegetables fresh while on the space station. Some were preserved and returned to earth for testing and no harmful microbes were discovered. Tomatoes, beans and fruit plants are slated for future tests.

Tags

lettuce tomatoes cabbage kale zinnia mustard-greens

Related

Audio

Still Time to Plant Vegetables – Late Additions to the Garden

Audio

Grow Your Own Healthy Holiday Snack: Microgreens

Video

Mums and Asters for Fall Beauty

Video

Fall Container Gardens

Audio

All-America Selections Vegetable Winners

Article

Crops to Grow with Limited Sun

• ← Previous
• 1
• 2 (current)
• Next →