NASA is working towards enabling fresh produce for long-duration space missions to the Moon and Mars. Current sealed food packets can lose flavor and vitamins over time, but growing plants on board may address this issue.
Researcher Gioia Massa has been studying plant behavior in space to enhance crop variety and taste. Her team examines how microgravity affects plant genetics, water use, and flavor. They also investigate bacteria that live alongside plants to ensure their safety for human health.
Recent studies have shown promising results, particularly with the Plant Habitat-07 investigation, which explored lettuce’s tolerance to different moisture conditions in microgravity. Researchers found that balancing water levels is crucial for maintaining robust leaves that still taste good.
NASA has conducted similar investigations on other crops, including tomatoes and Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress), revealing new insights into plant hormone regulation, auxin signaling, and DNA methylation. These findings will help NASA design growth chambers tailored to specific crop needs.
The ultimate goal is not just providing fresh produce but sustaining crews through extended missions. By refining the process of growing food in space, NASA aims to enable human settlement beyond Earth.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/space-lettuce-nasas-plans-to-grow-nutritious-plants-on-mars