Crewmembers aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will be treated to something they likely thought they would not be able to enjoy floating through space: "fresh grown" lettuce.
According to CNN, the astronauts have been growing red romaine lettuce as an experiment - dubbed Veg-01 - for future long-term space missions. As humans go deeper and deeper into space, NASA and other space agencies will need a way for astronauts to be able to grow food, rather than rely on the rations they bring with them.
One of the astronauts partaking in the meal is Scott Kelly, who is midway through the "Year in Space" experiment to test the physical effects an extended stay.
Kelly and his fellow crewmembers harvested their first crop on Monday, Aug. 10 and will pat them down with special wipes safe for use on food before eating the lettuce. NASA envisions Veg-01 as a piece to the Journey to Mars.
One of the key features of Veg-01 is the physical unit is easily transportable and can be broken down and built back up. To grow the food, the unit shines different LED lights on the seeds.
"Blue and red wavelengths are the minimum needed to get good plant growth," Ray Wheeler, lead for Advanced Life Support activities in the Exploration Research and Technology Programs Office, said in a press release. "They are probably the most efficient in terms of electrical power conversion. The green LEDs help to enhance the human visual perception of the plants, but they don't put out as much light as the reds and blues.
"There is evidence that supports fresh foods, such as tomatoes, blueberries and red lettuce are a good source of antioxidants. Having fresh food like these available in space could have a positive impact on people's moods and also could provide some protection against radiation in space."
