Dive Brief:
- NASA plans to send a see-through plant-growing system into space as a way to add fresh produce to astronauts' diets.
- The growth chamber, called "Veggie," will be included in a upcoming resupply mission to the International Space Station. Astronauts will attempt to grow produce in the chamber in an experiment dubbed Veg-01.
- In addition to the obvious nutritional advantages that fresh food could bring to space missions, NASA believes that plant growing might prove good for crew morale.
Dive Insight:
Introduced in 2012, it will be exciting to see if this space system proves useful for current astronauts and future visitors to the International Space Station. While it is only starting this project with lettuce seedlings, NASA says it is also researching the possibility of growing Swiss chard, peas, and Chinese cabbage within Veggie.