NASA astronaut and Expedition 64 flight engineer Hopkins smells “extra short” cabbage growing on the International Space Station on March 26, 2021. The plants are being grown for the Veggie Production System (Veggie) study, which aims to explore space agriculture to sustain astronauts on future missions to the moon or Mars. (NASA official website)
Astronauts on the International Space Station have recently been eating fresh leafy greens, thanks in large part to Michael Hopkins, a flight engineer with NASA’s Expedition 64.
According to NASA’s website, SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission commander led four Veggie Experiments, the last two of which were completed after the April 13 harvest, and both were successful.
VEG-03K and VEG-03L tested a new space crop called Amara mustard and a previously grown crop called Extra Dwarf chard. Both crops grew for 64 days, making them the longest growing leafy greens on the space station.
As part of the VEG-03K and VEG-03L experiments, Amara mustard and Extra Dwarf cabbage grew for 64 days, making them the longest-growing leafy greens on the space station. (NASA website) (NASA website)
After talking with Matt Romeyn, a space crop production project scientist and scientific leader of four plant experiments, Hopkins decided to pollinate the plants’ flowers with a small paintbrush. They discussed a variety of options, including having the flowers self-pollinate.
I wasn’t surprised that he chose this method to ensure the plant was fully pollinated, because he always wanted to be involved,” Romeyn said. We saw very high seed production after he used the brush.”
This experiment was important because fruit crops need to be pollinated and the staff needed to understand how the pollination process works in microgravity and eventually in reduced gravity. As part of the VEG-04 experiment, the Kennedy Space Center will send pepper seeds to the space station later this year, when the fruit will also be sent to the ISS soon.
Hopkins uses a paintbrush to help pollinate the flowers of “extra short” cabbage on the International Space Station. (NASA website)
Veggie also plans to conduct a VEG-05 experiment with dwarf tomatoes next year.
Multiple harvests from the latest experiment have resulted in a bumper crop of produce grown by Hopkins, and the crew is using the vegetables to make the table more diverse. Hopkins eats chard as a side dish, with the leaves dipped in an empty tortilla wrap. He added soy sauce and garlic, then placed it in a small food warmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
Hopkins explained that the astronauts had been enjoying the lettuce-like “amara” mustard with some chicken, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.
After tasting the “Amara” mustard grown in space, Hopkins wrote in his experiment notes, “It tasted great and had a very crunchy texture.”
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut and Expedition 64 flight engineer Soichi Noguchi poses with “extra short” chard grown on the International Space Station. (NASA official website)
This mission is complete for us,” said Romayne. …… Sustained crop production on the space station is an important demonstration for future missions beyond near-Earth orbit. Everything we’ve learned on the space station and on the moon can eventually be achieved someday en route to Mars.”
While the astronauts’ prepackaged foods are varied and nutritious, fresh crops provide an appealing addition. Hopkins said the plants represent a “connection to Earth.
Gioia Massa, a plant scientist at the Kennedy School of Life Sciences, said, “The success of the experiment means that we can grow new plants without getting seeds from Earth. This is important for long-term missions such as flights to Mars and the moon.”
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