Weathering the worst of an Antarctic winter, a shipping container may hold the key to feeding astronauts in space. The EDEN ISS greenhouse was shipped to the German Neumayer Station III Antarctic station in 2017. It sits on extendable stilts to cope with the snow accumulating underneath. On a clear day, the views are breathtaking. At other times, the crew need a rope guideline to find their way from the greenhouse to the station. During the worst blizzards, EDEN ISS is fully monitored and operated from the control centre at the DLR Institute of Space Systems in Germany.
Throughout 2021, NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have been using EDEN ISS to run a series of experiments on vegetable cultivation techniques for use on the Moon and Mars. NASA researcher Jess Bunchek has spent the best part of a year in Antarctica, testing greenhouse technologies and plant varieties. The goal is to grow lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and herbs using as little time and energy as possible.
While the astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) were growing the first crop of space chiles, the same variety was thriving in Antarctica. In a recent press conference, Jess said that they harvested so many chiles that the chefs in Antarctica had to preserve them as hot sauce! Jess also grew the Mizuna mustard, Outredgeous lettuce, Waldmann’s Green lettuce, Dragoon lettuce, and Amara mustard grown in Veggie on the ISS.
Pesto made from homegrown basil was their favourite staple. Jess also said that they had to double the number of cucumber plants to keep up with demand from the crew in Antarctica. However, she found it impossible to grow spinach successfully in the greenhouse conditions.
Other crops grown in Antarctica include:
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