ISS astronauts harvest radishes in space

Radishes are the latest type of fresh produce to be grown and harvested successfully in zero gravity, joining ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce, green lettuce, Chinese cabbage, lentils and mustard, according to a fact sheet from the NASA.

Back in the field, scientists at Kennedy Space Center in Florida are growing radishes in a control group to be harvested on December 15. Researchers will compare radishes grown in space to vegetables grown on Earth, checking how space production measures up against the supply of minerals and nutrients astronauts need to prepare for longer trips.

Meanwhile, the astronauts will repeat the radish experiment in the skies, planting and harvesting another round of radish crops to give scientists more data to draw.

With their short cultivation time, radishes have potential benefits as a food source for future astronauts embarking on deep space missions in the years to come. Radishes grow quickly and can reach full maturity in 27 days.

Root vegetables also don’t require much maintenance from the crew while they are growing.

“Radishes offer great research potential due to their sensitive bulb formation,” Karl Hasenstein, professor of biology at the University of Louisiana and principal investigator of the project, said in a press release.

Researchers will analyze the effects of carbon dioxide on radishes as well as how vegetables acquire and distribute minerals, according to Hasenstein, who has been conducting plant experiments with NASA since 1995.

The astronauts grew 15 different types of plants on the station, including eight different types of leafy greens. And NASA has already tested more than 100 cultures on Earth, identifying candidates to try next in space.

“Growing a range of cultures helps us determine which plants thrive in microgravity and provide the best variety and nutritional balance for astronauts on long-duration missions,” Dufour said.

Years of research with space cultures

NASA researchers began experiments using its growth chambers as vegetable production systems in 2014, shortly after they were delivered to the space station.

In August 2015, NASA shared a video which features US astronauts Dr. Kjell Lindgren and Scott Kelly floating aboard the station, saying “Cheers” and eating the space-grown treat.

“It’s okay,” Kelly said.

Getting proper space farming is important because the nutrients in prepackaged foods astronauts currently consume in space degrade over time, NASA said.

Getting humans to Mars and returning safely during a two- or three-year mission requires growing food along the way. This not only gives astronauts a vibrant supply of fresh nutrients during the trip; it also fills an emotional need as they tend to have cultures that are both figurative and literal taste of the house, according to the agency.

NASA’s Artemis program aims to land the first woman and the next man on the moon in 2024, and establish a sustained presence on the moon by 2028. From there, the agency will be set to begin to organize its next big jump, to Mars.

But before we get to the Red Planet, we first need to make a tasty green space salad.