Veggie Space Garden (NASA)
NASA's Veggie garden grows fresh food on the International Space Station; in 2015 astronauts ate the first lettuce grown in it (NASA).
Image: NASA/KSC.
Last reviewed: 1 source cited
Explain Like I'm 10
- Astronauts live on the space station for months.
- Veggie is a little garden with special lights that grows lettuce in space.
- In 2015 astronauts ate a salad they grew there.
The Five W's of Veggie Space Garden (NASA)
What
A small plant-growth unit with LED lights and seed "pillows" that grows leafy greens in microgravity.
Source: NASA, Veggie fact sheet
When
In August 2015, astronauts harvested and ate red romaine lettuce grown in Veggie.
Source: NASA, Veggie fact sheet
Why
Long trips to the Moon and Mars will need fresh food grown along the way.
Source: NASA, Veggie fact sheet
Impact Statement
Agency solution · active
Veggie showed that astronauts can safely grow and eat fresh crops in space, a step toward feeding crews far from Earth.
Source: NASA, Veggie fact sheet
For Further Information: NASA, Veggie fact sheet
In 2015, astronauts on the space station ate lettuce they grew themselves.
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
Fresh plants give astronauts nutrition and a mood boost on long missions.
Source: NASA, Veggie fact sheet
For Nature
Lessons from growing food with little water and energy in space can help indoor farming on Earth.
Source: NASA, Veggie fact sheet
Want to go deeper? NASA has the full Veggie fact sheet.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
More solutions like this one, matched by meaning.
For Teachers
Discussion questions
- What is Veggie Space Garden (NASA), and what problem does it help solve?
- Who is behind Veggie Space Garden (NASA), and where does the work happen?
- How does Veggie Space Garden (NASA) help both people and nature? Use one fact from this page.
Sources are listed with each fact in the Five W's above.
Cite This Page
APA
Saving Planets. (n.d.). Veggie Space Garden (NASA). https://www.savingplanets.com/Veggie_Space_Garden.html
MLA
"Veggie Space Garden (NASA)." Saving Planets, https://www.savingplanets.com/Veggie_Space_Garden.html.