Cultivating crops in space has always been one of the top research programs of NASA. It seems they are stepping in positive direction to make it successful.
NASA began cultivating flower crops in space in 2015 when astronaut Kjell Lindgren activated the Veggie system. The system includes zinnia seeds planted in rooting pillows.
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The scientists astounded people worldwide by sharing an image of a blossoming flower from a zinnia plant grown in space.
They stated that cultivating zinnias in space provided researchers on Earth with valuable insights into plant development in microgravity. It also allowed astronauts to simulate tasks they would encounter on long-duration space missions.
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Veggie has successfully cultivated several plants including lettuce, Chinese cabbage, mustard, kale, and zinnia flowers. Astronaut Scott Kelly particularly enjoyed the zinnia flowers, picking a bouquet and capturing their beauty floating in the cupola with Earth as the backdrop.
To grow plants in space is vital as future long-term space missions, like those to Mars, may require humans to cultivate crops for sustenance.
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