NASA astronauts could soon be cultivating gardens while cruising through space.
Kennedy Space Center scientists have been working on a project called "Veggie" to try to grow romaine lettuce in the International Space Station, Florida Today reported.
"We want to start to develop the ability to have a food system on orbit, so Veggie's a really good first step," Gioia Massa, the project's lead scientist from KSC's ISS ground processing and research division, told Florida Today.
The Vegetable Production System, which works in a 15-pound plastic box that expands as the plants develop, comes from Orbital Technologies Corp. of Madison, Wis.
Researchers will try to grow six heads of red romaine lettuce in the International Space Station's European Columbus module. The lettuce won't be destined for astronauts' meals at first, but a subsequent crop will be if the greens are deemed safe for consumption.
"Once we demonstrate that it works, we hope to get a lot of really interesting investigations in there, and hopefully develop some sort of a pick-and-eat salad concept as well in the future," Massa said.
According to the Florida Today report, the Veggie "looks like a glass box that glows purple when LED lights at the top are turned on."
Because the garden will rely on "plant pillows" of packed soil, fertilizer and seeds, astronauts will merely have to water the six lettuce plants, which should grow to around 6 inches within the month.
The concern is whether or not the plants will house harmful bacteria and microorganisms. If the lettuce grows properly, astronauts will harvest the six heads and send them back to Earth for analysis.
The lettuce variety was chosen partly because of its microbial levels, which are naturally low, and because it's something people will enjoy eating. Radishes, which were also considered, tested well on the ground but have "much higher microbial levels" and aren't usually a favorite.
In the future, astronaut crews could be growing regular lettuce crops for eating as well as colorful zinnias to brighten the space station.
"I think that's going to be one of the biggest benefits," said Massa, as quoted by Florida Today. "When you're living in an environment like the ISS, having green growing plants could be a really nice thing."
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