NASA astronaut Anil Menon and crewmate Jessica Meir harvested fresh kale and wasabi mustard aboard the International Space Station.
The space-grown vegetables were cultivated for roughly one month before the astronauts harvested several leaves. They then prepared a simple meal using the fresh greens.
Menon described the experience as “farm-to-table” and said the dish was possibly their best meal in orbit. He also credited NASA’s Veggie team for helping the crew grow the crops.
Growing vegetables in space could provide astronauts with fresh produce during future missions lasting months or even years. The experiments also help NASA study how plants can be cultivated during long-duration spaceflight.
Fresh crops could eventually supplement packaged meals and add variety to astronauts’ diets. They may also support future missions further from Earth.
Menon referenced The Martian, saying fictional astronaut Mark Watney would be proud of their space-grown meal.
Menon is also scheduled for a spacewalk with Sophie Adenot. They are expected to spend around six-and-a-half hours outside the ISS replacing a Space-to-Ground antenna.
