Scientists in Antarctica have harvested their first crop of vegetables grown without earth, daylight or pesticides as part of a project designed to help astronauts cultivate fresh food on other planets. Researchers at Germany’s Neumayer Station III say they’ve picked 8 pounds of salad greens, 18 cucumbers and 70 radishes grown inside a high-tech greenhouse as temperatures outside dropped below -4 Fahrenheit. The German Aerospace Center DLR, which coordinates the project, said Thursday that by May scientists hope to harvest 4-5 kilograms of fruit and vegetables a week. While NASA has successfully grown greens on the International Space Station, DLR’s Daniel Schubert says the Antarctic project aims to produce a wider range of vegetables that might one day be grown on Mars or the Moon.
Environment
Vegetables Harvested in Antarctica Without Sun, Soil, or Pesticides
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Engineer Paul Zabel with fresh salad harvested at the Neumeyer-Station III on Antarctica. The project is a test to become part of the nutrition for astronauts in future moon or Mars missions. (German Aerospace Center DLR)
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