This weekend, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly posted a picture of the first flower to bloom in space. The International Space Station has been home to the Veggie plant growth facility for almost two years, and scientists have been working hard to figure out how to keep crops alive in microgravity. It's a challenge to keep plants properly heated and hydrated,
and their current specimens been attacked by mold as well. "More crops
for Veggie are heading to the orbiting laboratory aboard SpaceX-8. The Veg-03 run will include two sets of Chinese cabbage, and one set
of red romaine lettuce. In 2018, there are plans to launch dwarf tomato
seeds to the space station. Smith said the lessons learned from growing
zinnia flowers will be critical in the process of growing tomatoes, a
fellow flowering plant. Studies are also in progress to see how
adjusting the lighting in the Veggie plant growth facility can affect
plan mineral composition. There will be preflight testing to determine
what 'light recipe' to use aboard the station."
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