Radishes from UL Lafayette will soon be growing in space. UL Lafayette vegetable researcher Dr. Karl Hasenstein says the research has been in the works for three years but needs to be tested in space to advance cosmic exploration.
“There is no decent air pressure, there is a huge fluctuation of temperatures. All of this needs to be taken into account before we can even think or dream of establishing a station on the moon or Mars,” said Hasenstein.
Seeds will travel to the International Space Station via a rocket launch on Thursday from a NASA facility in Virginia.
Hasenstein says radishes were selected for their ability to be grown rapidly with a greater quantity in a smaller amount of area. The usefulness of the plants also extends beyond the ability to be a food source.
“Plants are providing oxygen so it is a way of replenishing the oxygen that is being consumed by humans,” said Hasenstein.
Two batches of 20 radishes will be grown in space, then upon harvest will be sent back to earth for further research, including a comparison to radishes grown on earth at the same time.
“Once it has landed, it will be retrieved and then stored before shipment or pickup at the Kennedy Space Center, and then we’ll bring it here to UL and do the analysis,” said Hasenstein.
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