First food grown in space eaten

On 10/08/2015, NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station ate the first officially approved food grown in space when they sampled red romaine lettuce cultivated in orbit. The crop, known as “Outredgeous” lettuce, was grown as part of NASA’s Veg-01 experiment using the Veggie plant growth system installed on the station. Astronaut Scott Kelly activated the seeds on 08/07/2015, and the plants were harvested 33 days later. The milestone marked the first time astronauts consumed food grown and harvested aboard the ISS rather than pre packaged supplies from Earth. Astronaut Kjell Lindgren harvested the lettuce using sanitized tools and prepared the leaves by cleaning them with citric acid based wipes to ensure food safety. Crew members Scott Kelly, Kjell Lindgren, and Kimiya Yui sampled the leaves plain before adding olive oil and balsamic vinegar. NASA reported that the astronauts described the taste as fresh, with comparisons to arugula. Half of the crop was eaten by the crew, while the remaining portion was frozen and returned to Earth for laboratory analysis to confirm microbial safety and nutritional content. The Veggie system used LED lighting, a small growth chamber, and rooting pillows containing nutrients to support plant growth in microgravity. The Veg-01 experiment aimed to evaluate whether astronauts could reliably grow fresh food during long duration missions. Growing crops in space could supplement packaged food, provide nutrients that degrade over time, and offer psychological benefits for crews on extended missions. The successful consumption of space grown lettuce demonstrated that edible plants can be cultivated safely in orbit. The results supported continued plant growth experiments aboard the ISS and contributed to planning for future exploration missions, including potential long duration stays on the Moon and crewed missions to Mars.