Nasa grows lettuce in space

Nasa has planted lettuce on the International Space Station (ISS) to learn how to grow fresh food in space — which may help prepare astronauts for the future manned mission to Mars.

Just as farmers on Earth are planting leafy greens for the fall growing season, astronauts aboard the ISS are planting their third on-orbit crop of red romaine lettuce, Nasa said. Nasa astronaut Shane Kimbrough initiated the Veg-03 experiment.

The study is a validation of the tools and procedures necessary to grow plants to provide fresh food for astronauts.

As Kimbrough worked, members of the Veggie team watched from their consoles in the Experiment Monitoring Area located in Space Station Processing Facility at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

A live video downlink from the orbiting laboratory allowed the scientists to remotely watch Kimbrough’s actions.