Next Monday, April 14, NASA is due to send a new technology for growing vegetables to the International Space Station (ISS). The goal is to develop equipment and techniques that enable the production of food in space for the consumption of astronauts.

The Vegetable Production System (VEGGIE), produced by the US institution in conjunction with Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC), will be inside the Dragon capsule to be launched on the SpaceX-3 mission.

Image Source: Reproduction / Bryan Onate for NASA

The equipment consists of a prototype camera equipped with a kind of flight pad, which aims to help plants withstand zero gravity. Inside VEGGIE there are red, blue and green LEDs that should help with plant growth and survival.

In addition, the structure of this chamber can expand according to plant needs, reaching up to 30 centimeters wide by 37 centimeters deep - being the largest greenhouse for growing plants in space ever created. In this first test, the technology will grow lettuce plants.

The VEGGIE project was originally planned to be launched late last year, but it was postponed to ensure that all safety measures were taken. If all goes according to plan, NASA scientists hope to expand the range of tests for other vegetables, including vegetables.

Image Source: Reproduction / Bryan Onate for NASA

The equipment can even be used for recreational gardening, explained Gioia Massa, one of the researchers involved in developing the Vegetable Production System. Finally, the scientist revealed that it is intended to use this technology for even more ambitious projects, such as providing food to people on Earth.

Via Tecmundo