Innovating for space plant research, first plant transplant took place in the International Space Station’s Vegetable Production System (Veggie) facility.
NASA researches crop production in space because plants can provide nutrients to astronaut crews on long-duration missions, such as a mission to Mars.
NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, an Expedition 64 crew member, tended various varieties of mustard and lettuces in VEG-03I.
He observed that the mustard were growing fine in their special “pillows” containing clay-based growth media and fertiliser.
Two plant pillows containing ‘Outredgeous’ Red Romaine and ‘Dragoon’ lettuce seeds were germinating steady, growing well behind the other plants. However, with input from Veggie program scientists at Kennedy, the astronaut transplanted extra sprouts from the blooming plant pillows into two of the struggling pillows.
