Red romaine grown on board the International Space Station found to be just as good as plants cultivated on Earth.
The lettuce grown on board the International Space Station between 2014 and 2016 was just as safe and nutritious as crops cultivated on Earth, scientists have found. The finding will help pave the way for vegetables to be grown during longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond, researchers say.
"[Astronauts] posted photos of lobster salad lettuce wraps that they made and we heard that they ate the lettuce on cheeseburgers and tacos they made out of items available," NASA's Christina Khodadad and Gioia Massa, from the Kennedy Space Center, toldKhodadad and Massa are authors of a study that examined the microbiological and nutritional quality of the lettuce after its stint on the ISS.
"In addition to providing food, plants may also play a role in future Life Support Systems needed for long-duration missions. Plants generate oxygen as well as remove and fix carbon dioxide, which is critical in closed systems like the ISS or future moon/Mars facilities." Lettuce grown on the ISS. Researchers have found the crap was as nutritious and safe as a control group grown on Earth.The biggest issues for growing crops in space, the researchers said, is delivering water, oxygen and nutrients to the roots."In microgravity you have no natural convection, and water and air do not mix well," they explained."Plant roots need both water and oxygen, and getting the correct levels is very tricky.
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