Astronauts grow 'nutritious' red lettuce aboard International Space Station

Astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) have reportedly grown red romaine lettuce which is free of disease-causing microbes and safe to eat. A study about the lettuce experiment was published on March 6 in journal Frontiers in Plant Science. Christina Khodadad, the study author and researcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre told international media that the ability to grow food in a sustainable system that is safe for crew consumption will become critical as NASA moves towards longer missions. She added that the "salad type leafy greens" can be grown and consumed fresh with few resources.  

Credits: NASA

'Veggie'

According to the study, the team of astronauts started growing the vegetables inside a vegetable production system called 'Veggie'. The ‘Veggies’ are growth chambers equipped with LED lighting and watering system, specifically designed to grow crops in space. According to NASA, a ‘Veggie’ is a garden with a size of luggage and can hold about six plants. 

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The experiment started in 2014 with the crew growing the lettuce inside the ‘Veggie’ for 33 to 56 days. The study reported that the lettuce was grown onboard ISS from 'surface sterilised seeds' within the ‘Veggie.’  In August 2015, NASA shared a video which showed US astronauts Scott Kelly, Kjell Lindgren and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui munching on the leaves of the red lettuce. The remainder was sent back to Kennedy Space Centre for chemical and biological analysis with initial tests showing that they were not only safe but also nutritious. Further tests confirmed that the leaves did not carry any bacteria and the number of fungal and mould spores on them were also in the normal range. 

Benefits of space-grown vegetables

Astronauts in space live on processed, pre-packaged space rations such as fruits, nuts, chocolate, shrimp cocktails, peanut butter and chicken among other things. These fresh products would reportedly provide astronauts with potassium along with vitamin K, B1 and C, international media reported. 

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