Astronauts on the ISS harvest radishes in space
CNNCNN — Astronauts are harvesting fresh radishes grown in space, a delicious prospect that also could help seed food production efforts for longer-term missions to the moon and Mars. On Monday, NASA flight engineer Kate Rubins pulled out 20 radish plants grown in the space station’s Advanced Plant Habitat, wrapping them in foil for cold storage until they can make the voyage back to Earth next year. Radishes are the latest type of fresh produce to be successfully grown and harvested in zero gravity, joining “Outredgeous” red romaine lettuce, green lettuce, Chinese cabbage, lentils and mustard, according to a NASA fact sheet. “I’ve worked on APH since the beginning, and each new crop that we’re able to grow brings me great joy because what we learn from them will help NASA send astronauts to Mars and bring them back safely,” said Nicole Dufour, the Advanced Plant Habitat program manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, in a news release.