Space-grown lettuce was found to be as nutritious as Earth-grown lettuce. NASA astronauts grew different types of lettuce on the International Space Station between 2014-2016. Tests found the space-grown lettuce to have similar nutrient levels to identical lettuce grown on Earth. While space-grown lettuce had higher bacteria levels, the bacteria were not dangerous. This finding that plants can successfully grow in space is important for long-term space missions planned by NASA, such as a human mission to Mars in the next ten years.

1. LETTUCE GROWN IN SPACE IS AS
GOOD AS THOSE GROWN ON EARTH
Tuğçe ARSLAN

2. We can think of Space Agriculture as a sub–branch of astrobiology, which studies all living
things that live or can live in the space environment.
Space Agriculture, which is of great importance for the increasingly prolonged residence
times in the space environment and especially for future planned trips to Mars, has had great
importance in space studies since the 1940s.
Scientists who thought that seeds sent to space and brought back could exhibit different
behavior; In the first studies, they planted the returned seeds and observed a difference.
In fact, in the Apollo 14 program carried out in 1971, 500 seeds collected from sever-
al trees such as pine and alder circulated the Moon. They remained in the capsule and were
brought back to Earth and planted. Scientists examining trees formed from these seeds were
unable to detect any changes.
In 1982, with an experiment prepared by Lithuanian scientists, the plant named Thale
Cress or its scientific name Arabidopsis Thaliana was grown on the Soviet space station,
Salyut–7. The scientists who cultivated the plant allowed the plant to flower and set seeds. In
this way, Arabidopsis Thaliana became the first plant to bloom and give sources in space.
Now It’s Next Lettuce
When grown in space, is Lettuce as nutritious as grown on Earth? According
to scientists, if the answer to this question is “yes,” it will be more likely that
astronauts will one day produce their food.
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3. NASA astronauts announced that the first Lettuce grown in space was as safe and, in some
cases, even more, nutritious than those produced on Earth.
Space–grown Lettuces were similar in quality to Earth–grown control samples, while some
plants were more prosperous in several elements, including Potassium, Sodium, and Zinc.
The crops were grown individually in clay soil under Red Led lighting for 33–56 days in the
experiment.
Gio Massa, who led the lettuce growing project, said: “I think plants will be essential in the
future if we want to be independent of Earth as well, to feed our crew. However, if you store
packaged food for a long time, its quality, flavor, and nutritiveness will decrease, and vitamins
will deteriorate. At this time, we cannot guarantee that they will be nutritious enough,” he said.
“Growing and caring for plants can also have psychological benefits,” Massa added.
The scientists tested both Lettuces in similar environments and were
“surprised” at the extent of the nutritional value of space–grown Lettuce.
Although Lettuce had higher bacteria levels, the crops did not appear to carry dangerous
bacteria such as E.coli or Salmonella.
In light of the findings, the researchers sent seeds of these plants to the International Space
Station to see if kale and cabbage would produce similar results.
Currently, astronauts get their food in regular rocket shipments from Earth, but when they go
on more extended missions, the nutrients in their food degrade.
The ability to successfully grow food in space is thought to be crucial for long–duration inter-
stellar missions, such as NASA’s first human–crewed Mars mission, scheduled to launch in the
next ten years.
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4. Space Station – Grown Lettuce is Nutritious and Safe
One type of Lettuce grown by astronauts on the International Space Station is just as good
and nutritious as those on Earth, as research has proven. According to the study led by NASA’s
Gioia Massa, Christina Khodadad, and other researchers, lettuce grown on the station between
2014 and 2016 has very similar characteristics and nutrient levels to those grown under identi-
cal conditions on Earth’s surface.
It is stated that successfully growing food crops in space are critical for long–distance jour-
neys, as NASA plans to reach Mars.
Experts noted that while Red and Blue lights enable the plant to photosynthesize, Green
light prevents the Lettuce from losing its natural color and turning Purple. Still, the first space
crop is not ready to be devoured immediately.
Before astronauts eat Lettuce, they must carefully treat it with citric acid–based cleansers
found in citrus fruits like lemons. The lettuce will then be sliced into equal parts and tasted by
the crew, the first of its kind in space exploration missions to grow Lettuce.
After the first tasting, a long journey awaits the Lettuce. The first harvest on the International
Space Station will be packaged and sent to Earth in frozen form. Then, it will be studied how
nutritious vegetables grown in a zero–gravity environment are. This development is of great
importance for the first human–crewed mission to Mars, scheduled for ten years.
NASA states that Lettuce will not feed astronauts, but it is of great importance to establish
renewable food systems in space. The techniques in question will one day produce food on
Mars and other planets and be a source of oxygen.
The main difference between station–grown and surface–grown Lettuce is that more mi-
croorganisms live on those grown in space. These microorganisms come from the fact that the
space station has created microflora, and none of them are harmful to humans. In addition,
astronauts living on the International Space Station and continuing their missions do not need
any food or other items; These needs are met by cargo rockets regularly sent from the Earth.
According to the researchers, it is not possible to meet the food needs of the team with
those grown on the space station. Ongoing work on deep space missions, which will consist of
long–term voyages, focuses on the survival of humanity independently of planet Earth.
This development, which will be beneficial in the Mars missions that NASA
plans to do in the future, may even benefit the land unsuitable for agriculture.
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