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SpaceX-3 also is launching the Vegetable Production
System

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(Veggie for short) to the space station.

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This is a plant growth system that will provide
the necessary lighting and

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nutrient delivery for plant growth in space,
supporting a wide range of uses,

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from research to education to a fresh food
source for astronauts.

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The Veggie system will be the simplest plant
growth system on the space station to date

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but will provide the largest surface area
yet to grow plants.

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The first that will be grown is lettuce, which
will be harvested and returned

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to Earth for nutrient and microbial analysis
to determine their

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fitness as food.

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The system can be deployed and stowed as needed
on the space station, and can run

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on less power than a desktop computer.

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The plants are grown in individual “pillows”
that act as little pods of

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nutrients and root matting for each plant.

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In addition to plant growth for producing
edible crops, scientists are also

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exploring the future research that looks at
behavioral impacts of plant