Inside a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, research scientists prepare the plant pillows for the Veg-03 experiment that will be delivered to the International Space Station aboard the eighth SpaceX Dragon commercial resupply mission. From left, are Matt Romeyn, NASA pathways intern; Dr. Gioia Massa, NASA payload scientist for Veggie; and Dr. Mathew Mickens, a post-doctoral researcher. The Veg-03 plant pillows will contain ‘Tokyo Bekana’ cabbage seeds and lettuce seeds for NASA’s third Veggie plant growth system experiment. The experiment will continue NASA’s deep space plant growth research to benefit the Earth and the agency’s journey to Mars.

Inside a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, research scientists prepare the plant pillows for the Veg-03 experiment that will be delivered to the International Space Station aboard the eighth SpaceX Dragon commercial resupply mission. Matt Romeyn, a NASA pathways intern, measures out the calcined clay, or space dirt, for one of the plant pillows. To his right is Dr. Gioia Massa, NASA payload scientist for Veggie. The Veg-03 plant pillows will contain ‘Tokyo Bekana’ cabbage seeds and lettuce seeds for NASA’s third Veggie plant growth system experiment. The experiment will continue NASA’s deep space plant growth research to benefit the Earth and the agency’s journey to Mars.

Inside a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, research scientists prepare the plant pillows for the Veg-03 experiment that will be delivered to the International Space Station aboard the eighth SpaceX Dragon commercial resupply mission. Matt Romeyn, a NASA pathways intern, inserts a measured amount of calcined clay, or space dirt, into one of the plant pillows. The Veg-03 plant pillows will contain ‘Tokyo Bekana’ cabbage seeds and lettuce seeds for NASA’s third Veggie plant growth system experiment. The experiment will continue NASA’s deep space plant growth research to benefit the Earth and the agency’s journey to Mars.

Dr. Gioia Massa, NASA Veggie project lead, addresses Langston University students, from left, Sherman Cravens, Kashia Cha, Courtney Miller and Makyah Farris inside a Space Station Processing Facility lab at Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 18, 2019. The tour, which was organized by Langston University professor Byron Quinn, Ph.D., and NASA’s Office of Education, included stops at SwampWorks, the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, the Vehicle Assembly Building, the visitor complex and the Center for Space Education.

Dr. Gioia Massa, NASA Veggie project lead, addresses Langston University students inside a Space Station Processing Facility lab at Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 18, 2019. The tour of the Florida spaceport was organized by NASA’s Office of Education and Byron Quinn, Ph.D., Langston University director of the Science Research Institute. Students visited SwampWorks, the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, the Vehicle Assembly Building, the visitor complex and the Center for Space Education.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a visit to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Chief Technologist David Miller, center, tours laboratories inside the Swamp Works facility. At right, Dr. Gioia Massa, NASA project scientist in the Engineering and Technology Directorate, discusses the VEGGIE plant growth system. At left is Karen Thompson, Kennedy's chief technologist. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Langston University student Courtney Miller, left, interacts with Kennedy Space Center Veggie Project Manager Trent Smith inside a Space Station Processing Facility lab at Kennedy on Sept. 18, 2019. Behind them is Veggie Project lead Dr. Gioia Massa. Miller was one of four Langston students, along with professor Byron Quinn, Ph.D., who toured the Florida spaceport. The visit included stops at SwampWorks, the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, the Vehicle Assembly Building, the visitor complex and the Center for Space Education.

Dr. Gioia Massa, NASA Veggie project lead, addresses Langston University students, from left, Sherman Cravens, Kashia Cha, Courtney Miller and Makyah Farris, along with Langston professor Byron Quinn, Ph.D., inside a Space Station Processing Facility lab at Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 18, 2019. The tour, which was organized by Quinn and NASA’s Office of Education, included stops at SwampWorks, the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, the Vehicle Assembly Building, the visitor complex and the Center for Space Education.

Kennedy scientists Trent Smith, left, and Dr. Gioia Massa speak to middle and high school teachers at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami during the kickoff of the 2017-2018 Fairchild Challenge-Growing Beyond Earth. More than 130 teachers gathered for the opening workshop, where they learned about food production in space and the Veggie hardware currently on the International Space Station. NASA has partnered with Fairchild to create this STEM-based challenge in which students will follow specific research protocols and analyze plant growth factors, flavor and nutrition, in order to help NASA choose the next crops for astronauts to grow aboard the station.