Space travel presents numerous challenges, and providing astronauts with fresh, nutritious food is a significant one for extended missions. Relying solely on packaged provisions for long journeys to destinations like Mars is not sustainable. Cultivating plants in microgravity offers a pathway to self-sufficiency, reducing the need for frequent resupply missions from Earth. This endeavor involves understanding how plants respond to unique conditions beyond our planet, including altered gravity and controlled environments.
The Historic Cultivation
The first vegetable grown and consumed by astronauts in space was ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce. This historic cultivation took place aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Veggie (Vegetable Production System) experiment, specifically the Veg-01 project. The Veggie system, developed in conjunction with Orbital Technologies Corp. (ORBITEC), became operational in 2014.
The process involved placing ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce seeds into “plant pillows,” which are small, self-contained units holding a clay-based growth medium and fertilizer. These pillows are designed to manage water, nutrients, and air distribution around the plant roots in microgravity, preventing issues like roots drowning or being overwhelmed by air. A flat panel light bank with red, blue, and green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) provided the necessary light spectrum for plant growth, giving the plants a magenta-pink glow due to the predominance of red and blue light.
While the first batch of ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce was grown in 2014, it was returned to Earth for safety analysis to ensure it was safe for consumption. After analysis, a second batch of seeds was activated in July 2015. Astronauts on Expedition 44, including Scott Kelly, harvested and sampled this space-grown lettuce on August 10, 2015, marking the first time astronauts directly ate a crop cultivated in space. They cleaned the leaves with citric acid-based sanitizing wipes before tasting them.
Significance of the First Harvest
The cultivation and consumption of ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce represented a significant step for human space exploration. It demonstrated the feasibility of growing edible plants in microgravity, proving systems could reliably produce food for astronauts. This achievement validated the Veggie system’s design and functionality.
This initial harvest was a foundational experiment for future long-duration space missions, particularly those aiming for Mars. Growing fresh food on extended journeys reduces reliance on Earth-based resupply, which becomes increasingly challenging and costly with greater distances.
Beyond nutrition, the presence of growing plants offered psychological benefits to astronauts, providing a connection to Earth and a sense of well-being in the confined space environment. Freshly grown produce also offers antioxidants and potential protection against radiation, supporting astronaut health during prolonged space exposure.