Orbital Farming: Space Station Greenhouse Bears Fruit (Photo)
Well, vegetables to be precise. So says a researcher with Russia’s Institute of Biomedical Problems, which is partnered with Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory in an experimental greenhouse named Lada aboard the International Space Station.
PHOTOS: Gourmet Astronauts: Favorite Space Food
So far, station crews have harvested peas, leafy greens and a variety of dwarf wheat, all of which have now been certified as safe to eat, according to Russian researcher Margarita Levinskikh, who spoke this week at a conference in Moscow, the Russian news service RIA Novosti reports.
After undergoing repairs this year, the greenhouse will be restocked with rice, tomatoes and bell peppers, RIA said.
In addition to eventually supplementing the crew’s diet, the crops will be analyzed to see if they genetically change in space.
This article was provided by Discovery News.
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Irene Klotz is a founding member and long-time contributor to Space.com. She concurrently spent 25 years as a wire service reporter and freelance writer, specializing in space exploration, planetary science, astronomy and the search for life beyond Earth. A graduate of Northwestern University, Irene currently serves as Space Editor for Aviation Week & Space Technology.