SPROUTS IN SPACE

ONE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST CROPS IS NOW BEING TRIALLED AS A FUTURE VITAMIN-RICH ASTRONAUT FOOD

Words Jennifer Stackhouse

The humble chickpea could hardly be considered out of this world but lately it’s been playing its part in space exploration as a pioneer in supporting human life on other planets. Space agency NASA has grown a succession of edible and flowering plants on the International Space Station (ISS). Early crops included leafy lettuce and zinnia. When these proved successful, the ISS astronauts were challenged to grow a fruiting plant. That crop was chilli, which fruited well in the artificial growing conditions on board and resulted in a spicy meal of tacos aboard the ISS. The trials are part of the preparations for a future mission to Mars so the crew can grow fresh food on long-duration exploration missions. The vegetable crops were grown under red, blue and green LED lights. In the most…

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Good Organic Gardening (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue #13.4 - 2022

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