How do vegetables grown in space taste?

In the near future, astronauts can fully grow their own vegetables in space to replace food from the Earth.

Picture 1 of How do vegetables grown in space taste?
According to research published by plant scientists at the US Aerospace Agency (NASA) on March 6, red lettuce grown in space tested completely met the nutritional quality and safety. the equivalent of vegetables grown on Earth.In the future, about 10 years from now, the astronauts can grow vegetables to eat on their way to Mars.(Photo: NASA).

Picture 2 of How do vegetables grown in space taste?
Currently, NASA is making efforts to develop longer-lasting foods as well as efficient cultivation methods in a zero-gravity environment to improve meals for astronauts.The experiment of growing lettuce in a space environment was conducted from 2014-2016 in the Veggie space vegetable garden on ISS.Since 2015, Veggie has also been experimenting with other crops such as cabbage, zinnias and mizuna vegetables with seeds brought up by SpaceX in April 2014.(Photo: NASA).

Picture 3 of How do vegetables grown in space taste?
Currently, most of the food that astronauts eat at the International Space Station (ISS) is sent from Earth.Fresh foods can follow cargo missiles to stations.However, with longer missions such as going to Mars or other distant planets, this form of transportation can not meet.Foods can take several years to reach astronauts' meals.Too long transport time will cause food to lose nutrition and taste.(Photo: NASA).

Picture 4 of How do vegetables grown in space taste?
Veggie has the same structure as a small greenhouse with red, green and green LED systems to stimulate plant growth.In particular, red and blue lights emit more light and save more energy.Green lights are added to help vegetables look like normal, overcoming the situation where vegetables grow into strange purple plants in space conditions.(Photo: NASA).

Picture 5 of How do vegetables grown in space taste?
The most difficult task of growing plants in a zero-gravity environment is to ensure water exchange to all parts of the plant.When watering, instead of gravity will cause water to run down the roots, the water will float to the leaf or water will not soak into the ground.The type of soil used in this vegetable garden is porous clay and release fertilizer to control the amount of nutrients, water and oxygen for the roots.(Photo: NASA).

Picture 6 of How do vegetables grown in space taste?
The vegetables after harvest are chilled and transferred to Earth to analyze the quality and safety.Red lettuce has been tested to be almost the same quality as it was grown on Earth.Even the bacterial community that grows with this vegetable is rated to resemble the normal environment.(Photo: NASA).

  1. Astronauts are about to eat vegetables grown in space
  2. Grow and harvest vegetables on the international space station