Get Your Lettuce from Space – You Won’t Know the Difference

A study has found that Earth lettuce and space lettuce are almost exactly the same, making them a delicious, nutritious source of fresh food for astronauts in comparison to packaged alternatives.

The study, published in the Frontiers in Plant Science journal, concluded that the microbial communities found on the lettuce grown on board NASA’s International Space Station showed barely any differences compared to the Earth-grown ones.

“The ability to grow safe, fresh food to supplement packaged foods of astronauts in space has been an important goal for NASA,” reads the paper.

The scientists are planning to grow tomatoes and peppers next starting this year.