iss068e045298 (Feb. 5, 2023) --- A view of red dwarf tomato plants growing in the Veggie plant growth facility aboard the International Space Station as part of the Pick-and-Eat Salad-Crop Productivity, Nutritional Value, and Acceptability to Supplement the ISS Food System (Veg-05) investigation. Veg-05 is the next step in efforts to address the need for a continuous fresh-food production system in space. This experiment focuses on studying the impact of light quality and fertilizer on fruit production, microbial safety, nutritional value, taste acceptability by the astronauts, and the overall behavioral health benefits of having plants and fresh food in space.

iss064e013129 (Dec. 20, 2020) --- Radish plants are pictured growing inside the International Space Station's Advanced Plant Habitat to help botanists learn about managing food production in space and evaluate nutrition and taste in microgravity.

Scientists in the Exploration Research and Technology Directorate brainstorm innovative approaches to food production with industry representatives at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

jsc2023e054754 (6/23/2021) --- A preflight view of the Food Processor Instrument and consumables including the drill it will need to use on board the International Space Station (ISS). The objective of the Advanced System for Space Food (Food Processor) investigation on board the International Space Station is to test a prototype equipment demonstrator with one specific recipe that uses basic cooking functions (beating egg whites, mixing products). © CNES/DE PRADA Thierry, 2021.

jsc2023e054755 (2/11/2021) --- A preflight view of David Moreeuw (Inneloab) testing the Food Processor assembly. The objective of the Advanced System for Space Food (Food Processor) investigation on board the International Space Station is to test a prototype equipment demonstrator with one specific recipe that uses basic cooking functions (beating egg whites, mixing products). © CNES/DE PRADA Thierry, 2021

iss068e045013 (Feb. 2, 2023) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Josh Cassada uses a watering syringe to water tomato plants for the the Veg-05 experiment, the next step in efforts to address the need for a continuous fresh-food production system in space. The experiment uses the space station’s Veggie facility to grow dwarf tomatoes, seen in its early growing stages on station in the bottom photo. The experiment examines the effect of light quality and fertilizer on fruit production, microbial food safety, nutritional value, and taste acceptability. Growing plants can also enhance the overall living experience for crew members.

When NASA started plarning for manned space travel in 1959, the myriad challenges of sustaining life in space included a seemingly mundane but vitally important problem: How and what do you feed an astronaut? There were two main concerns: preventing food crumbs from contaminating the spacecraft's atmosphere or floating into sensitive instruments, and ensuring complete freedom from potentially catastrophic disease-producing bacteria, viruses, and toxins. To solve these concerns, NASA enlisted the help of the Pillsbury Company. Pillsbury quickly solved the first problem by coating bite-size foods to prevent crumbling. They developed the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) concept to ensure against bacterial contamination. Hazard analysis is a systematic study of product, its ingredients, processing conditions, handling, storage, packing, distribution, and directions for consumer use to identify sensitive areas that might prove hazardous. Hazard analysis provides a basis for blueprinting the Critical Control Points (CCPs) to be monitored. CCPs are points in the chain from raw materials to the finished product where loss of control could result in unacceptable food safety risks. In early 1970, Pillsbury plants were following HACCP in production of food for Earthbound consumers. Pillsbury's subsequent training courses for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) personnel led to the incorporation of HACCP in the FDA's Low Acid Canned Foods Regulations, set down in the mid-1970s to ensure the safety of all canned food products in the U.S.

jsc2024e038396 (6/5/2024) --- Insulin crystals grown with Redwire's PIL-BOX aboard the International Space Station. This image was taken after the crystals returned to Earth in April 2024. This control compound helps the body convert food into energy and store it for later use. The ADSEP-PIL-02 investigation aims to study the effect of microgramInsulin crystals grown with Redwire's PIL-BOX aboard the International Space Station. This image was taken after the crystals returned to Earth in April 2024. This control compound helps the body convert food into energy and store it for later use. The In-Space Production Application – Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory – 02 (InSPA-PIL-02) (ADSEP-PIL-02) investigation aims to study the effect of microgravity on the production of various types of crystals. Image courtesy of Redwire. on the production of various types of crystals. Image courtesy of Redwire.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

iss072e280746 (Nov. 26, 2024) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Nick Hague processes radiation-resistant samples of Arthrospira C micro-algae and stows them in an incubator for analysis inside the International Space Station's Columbus laboratory module. The samples will be exposed to different light intensities to observe how they affect the micro-algae’s cell growth and oxygen production. Results may advance the development of spacecraft life support systems and fresh food production in space.

iss064e016025 (Dec. 27, 2020) --- A radish bulb is pictured amongst radish plants growing inside the International Space Station's Advanced Plant Habitat to help botanists learn about managing food production in space and evaluate nutrition and taste in microgravity.

iss064e016711 (Dec. 30, 2020) --- Radish bulbs are pictured inside the International Space Station's Advanced Plant Habitat after the plants were harvested to help botanists learn about managing food production in space and evaluate nutrition and taste in microgravity.

During a brainstorming session on innovative approaches to food production, an industry participant looks at plants growing inside a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The workshop was hosted by the Exploration Research and Technology Directorate.

Bryan Onate, Advanced Plant Habitat project manager, with the Exploration Research and Technology Directorate, brainstorms innovative approaches to food production with industry representatives inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

iss072e277661 (Nov. 23, 2024) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Nick Hague services research hardware for the Rhodium Biomanufacturing-03 experiment inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module. The investigation explores using bacteria and yeast samples as a method to potentially enable the production of food and medicine in space.

iss072e189176 (Nov. 15, 2024) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Nick Hague services samples of the Arthrospira C micro-algae for incubation and analysis. Scientists will expose the radiation-resistant samples to different light intensities while monitoring their cell growth and oxygen production. Results may advance life support systems and fresh food production in space.

jsc2022e031226 (4/26/2022) --- A mission overview of the Protein Manufacturing investigation shows hardware, operations, and scientific details. The Protein Manufacturing project demonstrates and tests the operation of a novel bioreactor technology to support robust fungal growth for the production of high-protein food in a low-Earth orbit, space environment. Image courtesy of BioServe.

Research with plants in microgravity offers many exciting opportunities to gain new insights and could improve products on Earth ranging from crop production to fragrances and food flavorings. The ASTROCULTURE facility is a lead commercial facility for plant growth and plant research in microgravity and was developed by the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WSCAR), a NASA Commercial Space Center. On STS-95 it will support research that could help improve crop development leading to plants that are more disease resistant or have a higher yield and provide data on the production of plant essential oils---oils that contain the essence of the plant and provide both fragrance and flavoring. On STS-95, a flowering plant will be grown in ASTROCULTURE and samples taken using a method developed by the industry partner for this investigation. On Earth the samples will be analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and the data used to evaluate both the production of fragrant oils in microgravity and in the development of one or more products.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Ayla Grandpre are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Grandpre is majoring in computer science and chemistry at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Payton Barnwell are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Barnwell is a mechanical engineering and nanotechnology major at Florida Polytechnic University. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

iss059e092719 (6/10/2019) --- Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques is shown initializing the BioNutirents investigation by hydrating the growth packets onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The BioNutrients investigation demonstrates a technology that enables on-demand production of human nutrients during long-duration space missions. The process uses engineered microbes, like yeast, to generate carotenoids from an edible media to supplement potential vitamin losses from food that is stored for very long periods.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Alex Litvin are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Litvin is pursuing doctorate in horticulture at Iowa State University. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Emma Boehm, left, and Jessica Scotten are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Boehm is pursuing a degree in ecology and evolution at the University of Minnesota. Scotten is majoring in microbiology at Oregon State University. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Ayla Grandpre, left, and Payton Barnwell are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Grandpre is pursuing a degree in computer science and chemistry at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. Barnwell is a mechanical engineering and nanotechnology major at Florida Polytechnic University. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

iss059e092729 (6/10/2019) --- Photo documentation of the BioNutirents packets in the Space Automated Bioproduct Laboratory (SABL) incubator onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The BioNutrients investigation demonstrates a technology that enables on-demand production of human nutrients during long-duration space missions. The process uses engineered microbes, like yeast, to generate carotenoids from an edible media to supplement potential vitamin losses from food that is stored for very long periods.

iss059e099184 (6/10/2019) --- Photo documentation of the BioNutirents packets in the Space Automated Bioproduct Laboratory (SABL) incubator onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The BioNutrients investigation demonstrates a technology that enables on-demand production of human nutrients during long-duration space missions. The process uses engineered microbes, like yeast, to generate carotenoids from an edible media to supplement potential vitamin losses from food that is stored for very long periods.

iss072e308289 (Dec. 2, 2024) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams displays science hardware housing bacteria and yeast samples for the Rhodium Biomanufacturing 03 study that may enable the production of food and medicine in space. Williams was in the cupola, the International Space Station's "window to the world," as the orbital outpost soared 258 miles above a cloudy Pacific Ocean off the coast of Costa Rica.

iss061e131007 (1/7/2020) --- Photo documentation of the BioNutirents packets aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The BioNutrients investigation demonstrates a technology that enables on-demand production of human nutrients during long-duration space missions. The process uses engineered microbes, like yeast, to generate carotenoids from an edible media to supplement potential vitamin losses from food that is stored for very long periods.

Robyn Gatens, left, deputy director, ISS Division and system capability leader for Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) at NASA Headquarters in Washington, tours laboratories in the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on June 13, 2018. Standing behind her is Ralph Fritsche, long-duration food production project manager at Kennedy. Gatens is viewing plant growth chambers and seeing firsthand some of the capabilities in the center's Exploration Research and Technology Programs.

Research with plants in microgravity offers many exciting opportunities to gain new insights and could improve products on Earth ranging from crop production to fragrances and food flavorings. The ASTROCULTURE facility is a lead commercial facility for plant growth and plant research in microgravity and was developed by the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WSCAR), a NASA Commercial Space Center. On STS-95 it will support research that could help improve crop development leading to plants that are more disease resistant or have a higher yield and provide data on the production of plant essential oils---oils that contain the essence of the plant and provide both fragrance and flavoring. On STS-95, a flowering plant will be grown in ASTROCULTURE and samples taken using a method developed by the industry partner for this investigation. On Earth, the samples will be analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and the data used to evaluate both the production of fragrant oils in microgravity and in the development of one or more products. The ASTROCULTURE payload uses these pourous tubes with precise pressure sensing and control for fluid delivery to the plant root tray.

Aubrey O’Rourke, a project scientist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, is a member of the Crop Production team at the Florida spaceport. One key project on which she is working involves the building and deploying of an automatic genomic sequencer for spaceflight applications. The capability will allow NASA to conduct fundamental research as well as microbial monitoring of water and foods systems off-planet and at remote locations on Earth.

Original photo and caption dated October 8, 1991: <i>&quot;Plant researchers Lisa Ruffe and Neil Yorio prepare to harvest a crop of Waldann's Green Lettuce from KSC's Biomass Production Chamber (BPC). KSC researchers have grown several different crops in the BPC to determine which plants will better produce food, water and oxygen on long-duration space missions.&quot;</i

Aubrey O’Rourke, a project scientist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, is a member of the Crop Production team at the Florida spaceport. One key project on which she is working involves the building and deploying of an automatic genomic sequencer for spaceflight applications. The capability will allow NASA to conduct fundamental research as well as microbial monitoring of water and foods systems off-planet and at remote locations on Earth.

iss061e014149 (Oct. 27, 2019) --- NASA astronaut Jessica Meir waters plant pillows where Mizuna mustard greens are raised as part of the Veg-04B experiment. This investigation is part of a phased research project to address the need for a continuous fresh food production system in space and focuses on the effects of light quality and fertilizer on a leafy crop. Taste is assessed by the crew.

Original photo and caption dated June 22, 1988: &quot;A dwarf wheat variety known as Yecoro Rojo flourishes in KSC's Biomass Production Chamber. Researchers are gathering information on the crop's ability to produce food, water and oxygen, and then remove carbon dioxide. The confined quarters associated with space travel require researchers to focus on smaller plants that yield proportionately large amounts of biomass. This wheat crop takes about 85 days to grow before harvest.&quot

Kennedy Space Center scientists worked with OSRAM to insert a smart horticulture lighting system prototype into a food production system. The Phytofy RL prototype LED provides similar wavelength capability to a plant growth system currently on orbit. Photofy RL provides another avenue for future investigators conducting flight experiments to perform ground tests prior to flight under similar lighting conditions. The Phytofy RLs have been used to successfully grow microgreens of Wasabi, Tokyo Bekana, Mizuna, Broccoli, Garnet Giant, and Cauliflower.

Aubrey O’Rourke, a project scientist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, is a member of the Crop Production team at the Florida spaceport. One key project on which she is working involves the building and deploying of an automatic genomic sequencer for spaceflight applications. The capability will allow NASA to conduct fundamental research as well as microbial monitoring of water and foods systems off-planet and at remote locations on Earth.

Original photo and caption dated October 8, 1991: &quot;Plant researchers Neil Yorio and Lisa Ruffe prepare to harvest a crop of Waldann's Green Lettuce from KSC's Biomass Production Chamber (BPC). KSC researchers have grown several different crops in the BPC to determine which plants will better produce food, water and oxygen on long-duration space missions.&quot

iss071e439621 (Aug. 7, 2024) -- Rhodium science chambers are pictured prior to storage in an ambient locker location aboard the International Space Station. The Swinburne Youth Space Innovation Challenge 2023 Examining Mushroom Growth in Microgravity, or Rhodium Microgravity Mycelium investigation, tests the growth rates of mycelia, the root structures of mushrooms, in space. Microgravity can alter the growth rates of other organisms and understanding how it affects mycelium growth rate and biomass production could provide insight into growth characteristics of fungi. Mushrooms have recognized nutritional value and results could lead to more efficient mushroom growth and new strains of mushrooms as potential food sources for space travel and for research on Earth.

iss071e439623 (Aug. 7, 2024) -- Rhodium science chambers are pictured prior to storage in an ambient locker location aboard the International Space Station. The Swinburne Youth Space Innovation Challenge 2023 Examining Mushroom Growth in Microgravity, or Rhodium Microgravity Mycelium investigation, tests the growth rates of mycelia, the root structures of mushrooms, in space. Microgravity can alter the growth rates of other organisms and understanding how it affects mycelium growth rate and biomass production could provide insight into growth characteristics of fungi. Mushrooms have recognized nutritional value and results could lead to more efficient mushroom growth and new strains of mushrooms as potential food sources for space travel and for research on Earth.

Sally Scalera, urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Brevard Extension Office, shows Kennedy Space Center employees some sustainable yard products available during her presentation on tips and tricks for a healthy yard and garden on April 24, 2019. Held inside the Florida spaceport’s Space Station Processing Facility Conference Center, Scalera also provided information on Florida-friendly landscaping practices. The lunch and learn was available for employees to attend as part of Kennedy’s Earth Day events.

Sally Scalera, urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Brevard Extension Office, shows Kennedy Space Center employees some sustainable yard products available during her presentation on tips and tricks for a healthy yard and garden on April 24, 2019. Held inside the Florida spaceport’s Space Station Processing Facility Conference Center, Scalera also provided information on Florida-friendly landscaping practices. The lunch and learn was available for employees to attend as part of Kennedy’s Earth Day events.

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.

Sustainable yard products are on display while Sally Scalera, urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Brevard Extension Office, presents some tips and tricks for a healthy yard and garden to Kennedy Space Center employees on April 24, 2019. Held inside the Florida spaceport’s Space Station Processing Facility Conference Center, Scalera also provided information on Florida-friendly landscaping practices. The lunch and learn was available for employees to attend as part of Kennedy’s Earth Day events.

Sally Scalera, urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Brevard Extension Office, shows Kennedy Space Center employees some sustainable yard products available during her presentation on tips and tricks for a healthy yard and garden on April 24, 2019. Held inside the Florida spaceport’s Space Station Processing Facility Conference Center, Scalera also provided information on Florida-friendly landscaping practices. The lunch and learn was available for employees to attend as part of Kennedy’s Earth Day events.

Sally Scalera, urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Brevard Extension Office, shows Kennedy Space Center employees some sustainable yard products available during her presentation on tips and tricks for a healthy yard and garden on April 24, 2019. Held inside the Florida spaceport’s Space Station Processing Facility Conference Center, Scalera also provided information on Florida-friendly landscaping practices. The lunch and learn was available for employees to attend as part of Kennedy’s Earth Day events.

Sally Scalera, urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Brevard Extension Office, shows Kennedy Space Center employees some sustainable yard products available during her presentation on tips and tricks for a healthy yard and garden on April 24, 2019. Held inside the Florida spaceport’s Space Station Processing Facility Conference Center, Scalera also provided information on Florida-friendly landscaping practices. The lunch and learn was available for employees to attend as part of Kennedy’s Earth Day events.

Sally Scalera, urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Brevard Extension Office, shows Kennedy Space Center employees some sustainable yard products available during her presentation on tips and tricks for a healthy yard and garden on April 24, 2019. Held inside the Florida spaceport’s Space Station Processing Facility Conference Center, Scalera also provided information on Florida-friendly landscaping practices. The lunch and learn was available for employees to attend as part of Kennedy’s Earth Day events.

Sally Scalera, urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Brevard Extension Office, shows Kennedy Space Center employees some sustainable yard products available during her presentation on tips and tricks for a healthy yard and garden on April 24, 2019. Held inside the Florida spaceport’s Space Station Processing Facility Conference Center, Scalera also provided information on Florida-friendly landscaping practices. The lunch and learn was available for employees to attend as part of Kennedy’s Earth Day events.

jsc2025e047405 (5/28/2025) --- Image of the preparative zone of cultured tobacco cells with visualized microtubules (yellow: microtubules [preparative zone], magenta: nuclei). For the Effects of the Space Environment on Cell Division in Plants (Plant Cell Division) investigation, plant samples are collected that are fixed and frozen for analysis of microstructures, microtubules, proteomes, and transcriptome and imaged using the JAXA Confocal Microscope (COSMIC). The Plant Cell Division investigation provides researchers with a better understanding of how gravity affects the body plan of plants could support production of food crops on future spaceflight missions. Image courtesy of University of Toyama.

Astronaut Mike Fincke places droplets of honey onto the strings for the Fluid Merging Viscosity Measurement (FMVM) investigation onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The FMVM experiment measures the time it takes for two individual highly viscous fluid droplets to coalesce or merge into one droplet. Different fluids and droplet size combinations were tested in the series of experiments. By using the microgravity environment, researchers can measure the viscosity or "thickness" of fluids without the influence of containers and gravity using this new technique. Understanding viscosity could help scientists understand industrially important materials such as paints, emulsions, polymer melts and even foams used to produce pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic products.

Astronaut Mike Fincke places droplets of honey onto the strings for the Fluid Merging Viscosity Measurement (FMVM) investigation onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The FMVM experiment measures the time it takes for two individual highly viscous fluid droplets to coalesce or merge into one droplet. Different fluids and droplet size combinations were tested in the series of experiments. By using the microgravity environment, researchers can measure the viscosity or "thickness" of fluids without the influence of containers and gravity using this new technique. Understanding viscosity could help scientists understand industrially important materials such as paints, emulsions, polymer melts and even foams used to produce pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic products.

(iss065e163671) July 12, 2021 --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Shane Kimbrough inserts a device called a science carrier into the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH), which contains 48 Hatch chile pepper seeds NASA started growing on July 12, 2021 as part of the Plant Habitat-04 experiment. Astronauts on station and a team of researchers at Kennedy will work together to monitor the peppers’ growth for about four months before harvesting them. This will be one of the longest and most challenging plant experiments attempted aboard the orbital lab.

(iss065e163669) July 12, 2021 --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Shane Kimbrough inserts a device called a science carrier into the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH), which contains 48 Hatch chili pepper seeds NASA started growing on July 12, 2021 as part of the Plant Habitat-04 experiment. Astronauts on station and a team of researchers at Kennedy will work together to monitor the peppers’ growth for about four months before harvesting them. This will be one of the longest and most challenging plant experiments attempted aboard the orbital lab.

(iss065e163668) July 12, 2021 --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Shane Kimbrough inserts a device called a science carrier into the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH), which contains 48 Hatch chile pepper seeds NASA started growing on July 12, 2021 as part of the Plant Habitat-04 experiment. Astronauts on station and a team of researchers at Kennedy will work together to monitor the peppers’ growth for about four months before harvesting them. This will be one of the longest and most challenging plant experiments attempted aboard the orbital lab.

STS004-28-330 (27 June-4 July 1982) --- Thanks to a variety of juices and other food items, this array in the middeck area probably represents the most colorful area onboard the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia. Most of the meal items have been carefully fastened to food trays and locker doors (or both). What has not been attached by conventional methods has been safely ?tucked? under something heavy (note jacket shoved into space occupied by one of Columbia?s experiments). The Monodisperse Latex Reflector (MLR), making its second flight on Columbia, is designed to test the feasibility of making large-size, monodisperse (same size), and polystyrene latex micro-spheres using the products of the STS-3 mission as seed particles. The latex spheres are used in calibration of scientific and industrial equipment and have potential medical and research applications. This frame was exposed with a 35mm camera. Onboard the space vehicle for seven days were astronauts Thomas K. Mattingly II and Henry W. Hartsfield Jr. Photo credit: NASA

These ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato plants, photographed Jan. 10, 2020, inside a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, are growing from seeds that have been exposed to simulated solar particle radiation. The plants’ edible mass and nutrients will be measured and compared to those of a control crop, grown from non-irradiated seeds. The project was designed to confirm that nutritious, high-quality produce can be reliably grown in deep space, or to provide a baseline to guide development of countermeasures to protect future crop foods from radiation during missions beyond low-Earth orbit. The investigation on space radiation impact on seeds and crop production also will be carried on the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) platform outside the station, supported NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and the Space Biology Program, and potentially on future beyond-low-Earth platforms.

These ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato plants, photographed Jan. 10, 2020, inside a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, are growing from seeds that have been exposed to simulated solar particle radiation. The plants’ edible mass and nutrients will be measured and compared to those of a control crop, grown from non-irradiated seeds. The project was designed to confirm that nutritious, high-quality produce can be reliably grown in deep space, or to provide a baseline to guide development of countermeasures to protect future crop foods from radiation during missions beyond low-Earth orbit. The investigation on space radiation impact on seeds and crop production also will be carried on the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) platform outside the station, supported NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and the Space Biology Program, and potentially on future beyond-low-Earth platforms.

These ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato plants, photographed Jan. 10, 2020, inside a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, are growing from seeds that have been exposed to simulated solar particle radiation. The plants’ edible mass and nutrients will be measured and compared to those of a control crop, grown from non-irradiated seeds. The project was designed to confirm that nutritious, high-quality produce can be reliably grown in deep space, or to provide a baseline to guide development of countermeasures to protect future crop foods from radiation during missions beyond low-Earth orbit. The investigation on space radiation impact on seeds and crop production also will be carried on the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) platform outside the station, supported NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and the Space Biology Program, and potentially on future beyond-low-Earth platforms.

Original photo and caption dated August 14, 1995: <i>&quot;KSC plant physiologist Dr. Gary Stutte (right) and Cheryl Mackowiak harvest potatoes grown in the Biomass Production Chamber of the Controlled Enviornment Life Support System (CELSS in Hangar L at Cape Canaveral Air Station. During a 418-day &quot;human rated&quot; experiment, potato crops grown in the chamber provided the equivalent of a continuous supply of the oxygen for one astronaut, along with 55 percent of that long-duration space flight crew member's caloric food requirements and enough purified water for four astronauts while absorbing their expelled carbon dioxide. The experiment provided data that will help demonstarte the feasibility of the CELSS operating as a bioregenerative life support system for lunar and deep-space missions that can operate independently without the need to carry consumables such as air, water and food, while not requiring the expendable air and water system filters necessary on today's human-piloted spacecraft.&quot;</i

Original photo and caption dated August 14, 1995: <i>&quot;KSC plant physiologist Dr. Gary Stutte harvests a potato grown in the Biomass Production Chamber of the Controlled environment Life Support system (CELSS) in Hangar L at Cape Canaveral Air Station. During a 418-day &quot;human rated&quot; experiment, potato crops grown in the chamber provided the equivalent of a continuous supply of the oxygen for one astronaut, along with 55 percent of that long-duration space flight crew member's caloric food requirements and enough purified water for four astronauts while absorbing their expelled carbon dioxide. The experiment provided data that will help demonstarte the feasibility of the CELSS operating as a bioregenerative life support system for lunar and deep-space missions that can operate independently without the need to carry consumables such as air, water and food, while not requiring the expendable air and water system filters necessary on today's human-piloted spacecraft.&quot;</i

NASA and SpaceX launched the 28th commercial resupply mission of the Cargo Dragon from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff occurred at 11:47 a.m. EDT, June 5, 2023. SpaceX's Dragon will deliver new science investigations, food, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station for the crew, including the next pair of IROSAs (International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays). These solar panels, which roll out using stored kinetic energy, will expand the energy-production capabilities of the space station. This will be the third set launching in the SpaceX Dragon's trunk, and once installed, will help provide a 20% to 30% increase in power for space station research and operations.

NASA and SpaceX launched the 28th commercial resupply mission of the Cargo Dragon from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff occurred at 11:47 a.m. EDT, June 5, 2023. SpaceX's Dragon will deliver new science investigations, food, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station for the crew, including the next pair of IROSAs (International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays). These solar panels, which roll out using stored kinetic energy, will expand the energy-production capabilities of the space station. This will be the third set launching in the SpaceX Dragon's trunk, and once installed, will help provide a 20% to 30% increase in power for space station research and operations.

NASA and SpaceX launched the 28th commercial resupply mission of the Cargo Dragon from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff occurred at 11:47 a.m. EDT, June 5, 2023. SpaceX's Dragon will deliver new science investigations, food, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station for the crew, including the next pair of IROSAs (International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays). These solar panels, which roll out using stored kinetic energy, will expand the energy-production capabilities of the space station. This will be the third set launching in the SpaceX Dragon's trunk, and once installed, will help provide a 20% to 30% increase in power for space station research and operations.

NASA and SpaceX launched the 28th commercial resupply mission of the Cargo Dragon from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff occurred at 11:47 a.m. EDT, June 5, 2023. SpaceX's Dragon will deliver new science investigations, food, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station for the crew, including the next pair of IROSAs (International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays). These solar panels, which roll out using stored kinetic energy, will expand the energy-production capabilities of the space station. This will be the third set launching in the SpaceX Dragon's trunk, and once installed, will help provide a 20% to 30% increase in power for space station research and operations.

NASA and SpaceX launched the 28th commercial resupply mission of the Cargo Dragon from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff occurred at 11:47 a.m. EDT, June 5, 2023. SpaceX's Dragon will deliver new science investigations, food, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station for the crew, including the next pair of IROSAs (International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays). These solar panels, which roll out using stored kinetic energy, will expand the energy-production capabilities of the space station. This will be the third set launching in the SpaceX Dragon's trunk, and once installed, will help provide a 20% to 30% increase in power for space station research and operations.

NASA and SpaceX launched the 28th commercial resupply mission of the Cargo Dragon from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff occurred at 11:47 a.m. EDT, June 5, 2023. SpaceX's Dragon will deliver new science investigations, food, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station for the crew, including the next pair of IROSAs (International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays). These solar panels, which roll out using stored kinetic energy, will expand the energy-production capabilities of the space station. This will be the third set launching in the SpaceX Dragon's trunk, and once installed, will help provide a 20% to 30% increase in power for space station research and operations.

NASA and SpaceX launched the 28th commercial resupply mission of the Cargo Dragon from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff occurred at 11:47 a.m. EDT, June 5, 2023. SpaceX's Dragon will deliver new science investigations, food, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station for the crew, including the next pair of IROSAs (International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays). These solar panels, which roll out using stored kinetic energy, will expand the energy-production capabilities of the space station. This will be the third set launching in the SpaceX Dragon's trunk, and once installed, will help provide a 20% to 30% increase in power for space station research and operations.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Researchers document the ground control plant pillows in the Veggie plant growth system inside a control chamber at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida prior to thinning them to one plant each. The growth chamber is being used as a control unit and procedures are being followed identical to those being performed on Veggie and the Veg-01 experiment on the International Space Station. Veggie and Veg-01 were delivered to the space station aboard the SpaceX-3 mission. Veggie is the first fresh food production system delivered to the station. Six plant pillows, each containing outredgeous red romaine lettuce seeds and a root mat were inserted into Veggie. The plant chamber's red, blue and green LED lights were activated. The plant growth was monitored for 28 days. At the end of the cycle, the plants will be carefully harvested, frozen and stored for return to Earth. Photo credit: NASA/Charles Spern

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Researchers document the growth of the ground control plants in the Veggie plant growth system inside a control chamber at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida prior to thinning them to one plant each. The growth chamber is being used as a control unit and procedures are being followed identical to those being performed on Veggie and the Veg-01 experiment on the International Space Station. Veggie and Veg-01 were delivered to the space station aboard the SpaceX-3 mission. Veggie is the first fresh food production system delivered to the station. Six plant pillows, each containing outredgeous red romaine lettuce seeds and a root mat were inserted into Veggie. The plant chamber's red, blue and green LED lights were activated. The plant growth was monitored for 28 days. At the end of the cycle, the plants will be carefully harvested, frozen and stored for return to Earth. Photo credit: NASA/Charles Spern

A multidisciplinary team of engineers, biologists, and horticulturalists working out of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida supports the use of technology and automation in plant growth research that looks to supplement the diet of astronauts so they can undertake longer and more distant space exploration missions than ever before.

A multidisciplinary team of engineers, biologists, and horticulturalists working out of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida supports the use of technology and automation in plant growth research that looks to supplement the diet of astronauts so they can undertake longer and more distant space exploration missions than ever before.

A multidisciplinary team of engineers, biologists, and horticulturalists working out of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida supports the use of technology and automation in plant growth research that looks to supplement the diet of astronauts so they can undertake longer and more distant space exploration missions than ever before.

A multidisciplinary team of engineers, biologists, and horticulturalists working out of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida supports the use of technology and automation in plant growth research that looks to supplement the diet of astronauts so they can undertake longer and more distant space exploration missions than ever before.

A multidisciplinary team of engineers, biologists, and horticulturalists working out of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida supports the use of technology and automation in plant growth research that looks to supplement the diet of astronauts so they can undertake longer and more distant space exploration missions than ever before.

Jason Fischer (left), a research scientist, and Lashelle Spencer, a plant scientist, with the Laboratory Support Services and Operations contract at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, harvest peppers from pepper plants on Jan. 15, 2020, that were grown in the Space Station Processing Facility for a growth assessment test in preparation for sending them to space. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

Research scientists at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are preparing to weigh peppers grown inside the Space Station Processing Facility on Jan. 15, 2020, during a growth assessment in preparation for sending them to space. Scientists waited until the peppers were red, or nearly all red, before harvesting them. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the pre-packaged diet for astronauts during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

On Jan. 21, 2020, inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, intern Emily Kennebeck (left) and Jess Bunchek, a pseudonaut and associate scientist, prepare plant pillows for their flight to the International Space Station. The pillows, which are a common method used to grow plants in space, are being sent to the orbiting laboratory on Northrop Grumman’s 13th resupply services (NG-13) mission for a series of VEG-03 experiments that will study the growth of three types of leafy greens in a microgravity environment. Once the pillows are assembled and packaged for flight, they will be transported to the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, where liftoff will occur. NG-13 is scheduled to launch on Feb. 9, 2020, at 5:39 p.m. EST.

Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, peppers are harvested on Jan. 15, 2020, for a growth assessment in preparation for sending them to space. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

On Jan. 21, 2020, inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, plant pillows are packaged for their upcoming flight to the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s 13th resupply services (NG-13) mission. The pillows, which are a common method used to grow plants in space, are being sent to the orbiting laboratory for a series of VEG-03 experiments that will study the growth of three types of leafy greens in a microgravity environment. Once the pillows are assembled and packaged for flight, they will be transported to the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, where liftoff will occur. NG-13 is scheduled to launch on Feb. 9, 2020, at 5:39 p.m. EST.

Researchers are growing green peppers inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 15, 2020, in preparation for sending them to space. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

Plant Scientist Lashelle Spencer (left) and Research Scientist Jason Fischer with the Laboratory Support Services and Operations contract at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida remove the stems from peppers that were grown inside the Space Station Processing Facility on Jan. 15, 2020, prior to weighing them in preparation for sending them to space. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

On Jan. 21, 2020, inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, intern Emily Kennebeck (left) and Jess Bunchek, a pseudonaut and associate scientist, prepare plant pillows for their upcoming flight to the International Space Station. The pillows, which are a common method used to grow plants in space, are being sent to the orbiting laboratory on Northrop Grumman’s 13th resupply services (NG-13) mission for a series of VEG-03 experiments that will study the growth of three types of leafy greens in a microgravity environment. Once the pillows are assembled and packaged for flight, they will be transported to the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, where liftoff will occur. NG-13 is scheduled to launch on Feb. 9, 2020, at 5:39 p.m.

Researchers are growing green peppers inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 15, 2020, in preparation for sending them to space. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

On Jan. 21, 2020, inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, intern Emily Kennebeck prepares plant pillows for their flight to the International Space Station. The pillows, which are a common method used to grow plants in space, are being sent to the orbiting laboratory on Northrop Grumman’s 13th resupply services (NG-13) mission for a series of VEG-03 experiments that will study the growth of three types of leafy greens in a microgravity environment. Once the pillows are assembled and packaged for flight, they will be transported to the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, where liftoff will occur. NG-13 is scheduled to launch on Feb. 9, 2020, at 5:39 p.m. EST.

Researchers are growing green peppers inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 15, 2020, in preparation for sending them to space. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

On Jan. 21, 2020, inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, plant pillows are packaged for their upcoming flight to the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s 13th resupply services (NG-13) mission. The pillows, which are a common method used to grow plants in space, are being sent to the orbiting laboratory for a series of VEG-03 experiments that will study the growth of three types of leafy greens in a microgravity environment. Once the pillows are assembled and packaged for flight, they will be transported to the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, where liftoff will occur. NG-13 is scheduled to launch on Feb. 9, 2020, at 5:39 p.m. EST.

Inside the Space Station Processing Facility on Jan. 21, 2020, Jess Bunchek, a pseudonaut and associate scientist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, prepares plant pillows for their flight to the International Space Station. The pillows, which are a common method used to grow plants in space, are being sent to the orbiting laboratory on Northrop Grumman’s 13th resupply services (NG-13) mission for a series of VEG-03 experiments that will study the growth of three types of leafy greens in a microgravity environment. Once the pillows are assembled and packaged for flight, they will be transported to the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, where liftoff will occur. NG-13 is scheduled to launch on Feb. 9, 2020, at 5:39 p.m. EST.

Gioia Massa, a NASA project scientist, poses inside a lab at the Space Station Processing Facility located at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Massa’s responsibilities include studying the effects of a microgravity environment on plant growth, discovering the perfect conditions for growing plants in space and determining what plant species grow the most effectively under those conditions. Massa and her team are currently experimenting with growing plants aboard the International Space Station to develop the knowhow to supplement astronauts’ packaged diets with freshly grown crops, which should facilitate long-duration exploration missions into deep space.

A plant pillow is photographed inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 21, 2020, prior to being packaged for flight to the International Space Station. A number of plant pillows are being prepped to fly to the orbiting laboratory on Northrop Grumman’s 13th resupply services (NG-13) mission for a series of VEG-03 experiments that will study the growth of three types of leafy greens in a microgravity environment. Once the pillows are ready for flight, they will be transported to the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, where liftoff will occur. NG-13 is scheduled to launch on Feb. 9, 2020, at 5:39 p.m. EST.

On Jan. 21, 2020, inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, intern Emily Kennebeck (left) and Jess Bunchek, a pseudonaut and associate scientist, prepare plant pillows for their upcoming flight to the International Space Station. The pillows, which are a common method used to grow plants in space, are being sent to the orbiting laboratory on Northrop Grumman’s 13th resupply services (NG-13) mission for a series of VEG-03 experiments that will study the growth of three types of leafy greens in a microgravity environment. Once the pillows are assembled and packaged for flight, they will be transported to the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, where liftoff will occur. NG-13 is scheduled to launch on Feb. 9, 2020, at 5:39 p.m. EST.

Lashelle Spencer, a plant scientist with the Laboratory Support Services and Operations contract at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, observes and documents the growth of peppers after harvesting them on Jan. 15, 2020, inside the Space Station Processing Facility. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

Jason Fischer (left), a research scientist, and Lashelle Spencer, a plant scientist, with the Laboratory Support Services and Operations contract at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, observe and document the growth of pepper plants prior to harvesting them on Jan. 15, 2020, inside the Space Station Processing Facility in preparation for sending them to space. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

On Jan. 21, 2020, inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, intern Emily Kennebeck prepares plant pillows for their upcoming flight to the International Space Station. The pillows, which are a common method used to grow plants in space, are being sent to the orbiting laboratory on Northrop Grumman’s 13th resupply services (NG-13) mission for a series of VEG-03 experiments that will study the growth of three types of leafy greens in a microgravity environment. Once the pillows are assembled and packaged for flight, they will be transported to the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, where liftoff will occur. NG-13 is scheduled to launch on Feb. 9, 2020, at 5:39 p.m. EST.

Jason Fischer, a research scientist with the Laboratory Support Services and Operations contract at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, weighs peppers that were harvested from inside the Space Station Processing Facility on Jan. 15, 2020, prior to weighing them in preparation for sending them to space. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

Gioia Massa, a NASA project scientist, poses inside a lab at the Space Station Processing Facility located at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Massa’s responsibilities include studying the effects of a microgravity environment on plant growth, discovering the perfect conditions for growing plants in space and determining what plant species grow the most effectively under those conditions. Massa and her team are currently experimenting with growing plants aboard the International Space Station to develop the knowhow to supplement astronauts’ packaged diets with freshly grown crops, which should facilitate long-duration exploration missions into deep space.

Researchers are growing green peppers inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 15, 2020, in preparation for sending them to space. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.

Peppers that were grown and harvested inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are weighed on Jan. 15, 2020, in preparation for sending them to space. As NASA prepares to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit, the ability for astronauts to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in space will be critical. Fresh produce will be an essential supplement to the crew’s pre-packaged diet during long-duration space exploration when they are away from Earth for extended periods of time.