In a major breakthrough, a NASA astronaut successfully managed to grow radishes onboard a microgravity chamber in the International Space Station (ISS), paving the way for more such experiments. In late November, astronaut Kate Rubins onboard the ISS shared images of the 20 radish plants she had grown in the ISS’ Advanced Plant Habitat.
The radish harvest was part of NASA’s plant experiment, Plant Habitat-02 (PH-02) that seeks to understand how plants grow in microgravity conditions. Radishes were chosen since they are fairly well understood by scientists and achieve maturity in just 27 days. Radishes are also edible and nutritious, with this batch ready for harvest any day now. Samples will be sent back to Earth for study.
Because plants no longer have gravity to root them to the soil, the seeds are grown in “pillows” that help evenly distribute fertiliser and water to the roots.
Watch the pictures and video here:
It’s harvest day on the @Space_Station!🌱
Today, the crew is harvesting radishes as a part of the Plant Habitat-02 study. The experiment tests radishes growing in different types of light and soils as part of ongoing efforts to produce food in space. https://t.co/0EZL6vPDL2 pic.twitter.com/9FIaFf3S9i
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) November 30, 2020
Radishes grow fast, but maybe not this fast! Check out one month of @Space_Station radish growth in 10 seconds.⏱️
Radishes are used for the Plant Habitat-02 study because they're nutritious, grow quickly and are genetically similar to Arabidopsis, a plant often studied in space. pic.twitter.com/f3c8urlCei— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) December 1, 2020
As per NASA, The Advanced Plant Habitat is a self-contained growth chamber requiring very little intervention from astronauts. It is equipped with LED lights, porous clay, over 180 sensors and cameras regulated by researchers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. From there, plant growth is monitored and conditions adjusted as necessary to better distribute water and fertiliser and control moisture and temperature levels.
With plans to visit the Moon and Mars, future astronauts will need a regular, fresh source of food as they take on these missions farther away from home. In addition to providing much-needed vitamins and minerals, growing plants in space contribute to sustainability and add a homey touch to exploration.
“Learning how to grow food closer to home aboard the space station will help determine which plants thrive the best in microgravity and offer the best variety and nutritional balance for a Martian menu,” the Space organisation added.
(With ANI inputs)