Peas, other edibles grow in experimental space greenhouse
(Phys.org) —Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station have grown a crop of peas, wheat, and Japanese leafy greens in the ISS greenhouse. The report comes from a researcher with the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Biomedical Problems, which is partnered with Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory. The food was confirmed as safely edible. Their root modules were analyzed to confirm their safety. The team's success in growing the crops bring hope among space exploration teams that a supply of fresh food might be feasible, in contrast to reliance on food specially packaged to stay edible for long periods. The delivered foods can deliver nutrition but having a supply of fresh food would be desirable to sustain morale and also for another, fundamental, reason. Long-duration deep space missions would require large amounts of food adding to their launch weight.