ScienceCasts: Lettuce Orbit Earth -- A New Form of Life Takes Root on the ISS 

How about "Space Weed"?

Lettuce, the final frontier.

I wish the comments were more mature. This may be the place where one could "contribute" to real solutions to this issue of creating a livable non-earth environment. My input to this approach is more of a large cylindrical environment that rotates and creates what appears to be necessary, gravity. Its rotation could even be supplemented with passive power using the same affects we on earth find in a "sun dial". You know, sails, where one side is black and the opposite side white. Let light turn the garden structure. That was my first thought.

How does direct and continuous light (artificial, UAV) versus daily changes (Sun) affects the growth in plants?

On Earth, plants have a symbiotic aid from bacteria to grow healthy, How will be allowed that in space? And what about the future pollinization? Interesting to think...!

Gardening on International Space Station isn’t a challenge anymore. For better quality of health gardening is an ingenious lifestyle. Maybe we should be more thankful for the planet.

They need Moringa Oleifera. It provides all the nutrients in 1. (or most all)

I agree with Celso, which strains of microrysal bacteria did they include for the roots to be able to absorb nutrients? We aren't just one organism. Plants need bacteria, pollinators, and other organisms for optimal growth. Even humans are only 10% human, based on cell DNA. I'm surprised they haven't set up a habitat bubble already...like "silent running" or worked our a micro gravity rotating module. Are they gyroscopes that hard to figure out? Add 2 that spin in opposite directions?

how is this considered a 'new life form'? i'm assuming it is the same species as something on earth since the seeds would have had to come from earth?

that was beautiful

say hi to commander Koenig for me :3

im sure this was thought of and dismissed, but, couldn't centripetal force create false gravity? ...fabrication would probably be spacious?

okey okey fine!! :DDD get some GMO seeds in to mars and seed them there with a some kind of machine that can grow in bad soil!

I have tried some of this space lettuce. I put it on my whopper, and it tastes okay but is no way worth the 800,00 dollars it costs to import.

I'd eat that in the name of science.

I really don't understand why they would not just use aeroponics - why bother with the soil, it is totally not necessary.

Nice

Cool!

The nearest star is 73,000 years away god Id blow the hatch in space eating lettuce for thousands of years. I dont think so.

tones of footage from plants grown in space. most of them loo like they are eatable and yet he says they do it for the first time..

HAVE THEY NOT SEEN THE WATERS OF MARS

so.. lettuce grow on rockets!!?!!

How about you send someone over and mow my grass.

Neat. :D

So no one finds it relevant that they got there "package" on April 20 th? Lol just kidding.

Lettuce Orbit Earth... What a joke...

Goddammit, now we can't get away from vegans even if we get off the planet :/

I guess the taxpayers money would be better spent on how to grow bacon in space... just sayin... (Disclaimer: The above text is ironic. Failure to understand it suggests the internet is not the adequate environment for you.)