The Cosmic Countertop

Scientists are investigating how astronauts can maintain their health during long missions to the Moon and Mars. This research, a collaboration between NASA’s Ames Life Sciences Data Archive (ALSDA), the Human Analysis and Plant Working Groups of OSDR (NASA GeneLab), and the non-profit BioAstra tries to answer is: Can space-grown vegetables keep astronauts strong? May be not. NASA teams look at health data from space missions to understand nutrition problems. A recent study found that lettuce grown in space had less calcium and magnesium than lettuce grown on Earth. These nutrients are important for strong bones and overall health. The study also showed that space travel may cause bone loss and problems with the gut, which can make it harder for astronauts to absorb nutrients. To solve this, scientists are thinking about growing special bioengineered crops in space that have extra nutrients, such as those enriched in calcium or therapeutic proteins to compensate for the deficiencies observed in the space-grown lettuce, to keep astronauts healthy.