Growing plants in space has evolved. A commercial company is credited with designing a portable garden capable of growing salad crops during long stays in space. Today, countertop gardens are available for consumers to use in growing herbs, lettuce, tomatoes, flowers, and more with water, plant food, and LED lighting.
NASA has spent decades learning how best to grow plants off-world. A crucial component of long-duration missions to the moon, Mars and other destinations will be growing fresh produce aboard spacecraft and surface habitats. Astronauts recently grew and consumed a crop of romaine lettuce aboard the space station, and future missions will attempt to cultivate flowering plants such as tomatoes and peppers.
Learn more about how NASA helped develop technology that impacts countertop garden within your home's kitchen environment!