NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station sampled a special treat on Monday – lettuce. The lettuce is part of a crop of “Outredgeous” red romaine lettuce grown right on the station, reports CNN.
This is not the first time food was grown on a space station, but it was the first time the astronauts sampled vegetables grown in their space garden. “For decades NASA and other agencies have experimented with plants in space,” NASA said in a statement.
For decades, NASA and other agencies have experimented with plants in space, but the results were always sent to earth for examination, rather than eaten.
The crew of Expedition 44 harvested the red romaine lettuce, and cleaned them with sanitizing wipes before sampling, reports The Guardian. The astronauts tasted the lettuce raw, and then made a salad of sorts by adding a bit of extra virgin olive oil and Italian balsamic vinegar to the roughage.
“Having the ability for us to grown our own food is a big step in that direction,” said Steve Kelly one of the astronauts aboard the ISS in reference to future missions to Mars.
If we’re ever going to go to Mars someday, and we will, we’re going to need a spacecraft that is much more sustainable. Having the ability for us to grow our own food is a big step in that direction.
The experiment known as Veggie, but officially named Veg-01, is meant to study plant growth in a micro-gravity environment and research improved methods of growing produce in orbit.
Kelly activated the seeds in the production bay and rooting “pillows” – chambers of clay, fertilizer and water – on July 8.
Having the ability to grow vegetables in space could do more than provide the astronauts with fresh produce, according to NASA. Alexandra Whitmire, a NASA scientist at Johnson Space Center in Houston, believes there could be psychological benefits as well.
Whitmire said that studies have shown plants are associated with well-being. Having a little piece of Earth – something green and full of life – aboard the space station could have “tremendous value and impact.”
Last week, Kelly hosted a Q&A session on his Twitter from space, during which he answered a Tweet from President Obama.
