Deep Space Food Challenge

[bower]

NASA is offering prizes to anyone who can help develop new food systems for space.
Room for some micro tomatoes perhaps?
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/space ... stems.html

[Labradors]

Productive micros with tetra-cis-lycopene would be amazing - and healthy!

Linda

[habitat-gardener]

Weren’t Micro Gemma and Micro Tina developed for the International Space Station?

[Dee]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing this link!

[bower]

I don't know too much about the work that's been done already on the ISS etc although a few articles have turned up from time to time. I guess they are looking to push the envelope even further though, and one thing mentioned, the desire to have tasty nutritious food, as well as a very easy system for production. Small space, obviously an issue. IDK how this works out in zero gravity, either.
Oakley from TV had a fantastic system for microgreens production. I don't know if it is more or less efficient than baby greens, which is what I usually grow in winter and suits my 'lazy' attitude. Actually haven't started anything at this point.
One thing I notice is that I've drifted towards larger plants with a longer life cycle instead of microgreens or baby greens which we enjoy for the short term but then don't repeat frequently.
Kai Lan/ Gailan/ Chinese broccoli is a pretty awesome vegetable. They just keep making broccolets and the stems are super tender and delicious. Since the flowering shoots are what's eaten, there seems no pre-defined end to the productive cycle. I even have one flowering in the greenhouse now, which has survived all neglect and keeps producing. The size of it might be a good match for micro tomato as well. That is, in terms of space design and lighting, they're a good match. I like michihili or napa cabbage in a bigger pot as well, just eating the outer leaves until they eventually flower and are done. Anybody know a brassica that produces good leaf to eat but doesn't flower at all in the first season?

[wykvlvr]

Grin I can say that Summerlong Basil makes a good pot companion for a micro dwarf....the few articles I have read have them looking at mini and micro foods but they say nothing about herbs to season them with.