International Space Station 'farm' bears fruit

The International Space Station set against the backdrop of Earth. (File photo)

Astronauts are growing vegetables in an experimental greenhouse named 'Lada' aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that are safe to eat.

So far, station crews have harvested peas, leafy greens and a variety of dwarf wheat, all of which have now been certified as safe to eat, Russian researcher Margarita Levinskikh from Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems told an annual space conference in Moscow recently.

After undergoing repairs this year, the greenhouse would be re-stocked with rice, tomatoes and bell peppers.

In addition to eventually supplementing the crew's diet, the crops would be analysed to see if they genetically change in space.

The results are encouraging for the space habitat dream, said the institute, a cooperative effort between the institute and the Space Dynamics Laboratory at Utah State University.

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International Space Station 'farm' bears fruit