Vegetable Production System
NASA plant growth system for space food and recreation.
The Vegetable Production System, known as Veggie, is a NASA-developed plant growth unit for space. Its goals include supplying astronauts with a sustainable food source and offering therapeutic gardening for recreation and relaxation. Built with ORBITEC, Veggie became operational on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2014, and a second module was added in April 2018 via SpaceX CRS-14.
Veggie serves as a research platform for space food production, studying plant growth in microgravity and efficient cultivation for crew use. It is designed for low maintenance, low power consumption, and low launch mass, providing a minimally controlled environment with limited regulation of atmosphere and temperature. Its successor, the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH), arrived at the ISS in 2017.
The Veggie module weighs under 8 kg (18 lb) and uses 90 watts. It has three components: a lighting system, a bellows enclosure, and a reservoir. The lighting system controls light amount and intensity using red, blue, and green LEDs, with default settings for each color’s intensity in micromoles per second per square meter. Opaque bellows block external light. The bellows enclosure, made of a fluorinated polymer, manages airflow and air pressure within the unit, connecting to the lighting system at the top and a baseplate at the bottom. Power and cooling come from ExPRESS Racks, while temperature and humidity are controlled by the surrounding environment. The reservoir holds and delivers water to plant pillows, which contain seeds, fertilizer, and substrate. Seeds are positioned in the sticky pillows so roots grow downward into the substrate and stems grow upward outside.
Experiments with Veggie include Veggie-3 (VEG-03 A, B, C, D) in 2016, which grew "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce, Tokyo Bekana Chinese cabbage, Mizuna mustard, and Waldmann's Green lettuce. Veggie-4 (VEG-04 A & B) in 2019 grew Mizuna mustard. As of March 2023, Veggie-5 (VEG-05) successfully grew "Red Robin" dwarf tomatoes—though note that Veggie-5 was actually conducted using the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH), not the Veggie module itself; the Veggie-specific experiment series only includes Veggie-1 through Veggie-4. Other plants grown include Zinnia hybrida ("Profusion" var.).
In 2010, Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) tested a Veggie prototype with lettuce during a 10-day field trial. Wh
- field
- Space agriculture
- developed_by
- NASA and ORBITEC
- operational_since
- 2014
- mass
- Less than 8 kg (18 lb)
- power_use
- 90 watts
- successor
- Advanced Plant Habitat (APH, delivered 2017)
Lore & Background
The Veggie system consists of three parts: a lighting system with red, blue, and green LEDs; a bellows enclosure made from a fluorinated polymer that controls air flow and pressure; and a reservoir that provides water to plant pillows containing seeds and fertilizer. The system is designed to be low maintenance, using low power and having a low launch mass, with minimal control over atmosphere and temperature.
Various plants have been grown using Veggie, including 'Outredgeous' red romaine lettuce, Tokyo Bekana Chinese cabbage, Mizuna mustard, Waldmann's Green lettuce, Zinnia hybrida, and 'Red Robin' dwarf tomatoes. Experiments include Veggie-3 in 2016 and Veggie-4 in 2019. Note that Veggie-5 (as of March 2023) was an experiment using the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH), not the Veggie module; the Veggie-specific experiment series only includes Veggie-1 through Veggie-4.
In 2010, Desert Research and Technology Studies performed a 10-day field trial with a Veggie prototype and lettuce, yielding positive results—though no specific timeline of 14-day consumption or uniformly stated psychological outcomes is documented by NASA.
Reader's Guide
The Vegetable Production System represents a key step in developing sustainable food production for long-duration space missions. By providing a low-mass, low-power platform for growing fresh vegetables, Veggie addresses both nutritional needs and psychological well-being of crews. Its design as a minimally regulated environment allows for studying plant growth in microgravity while keeping operational demands low. The system's success with multiple crop varieties—from lettuce to tomatoes—demonstrates the feasibility of space farming. Veggie's legacy includes informing the development of the more advanced Advanced Plant Habitat, which was delivered to the ISS in 2017. While nutritional comparisons between space-grown and Earth-grown plants remain unreleased, the psychological benefits observed during ground tests suggest significant value for crew morale. Veggie continues to serve as an applied research platform, contributing to knowledge about efficient plant growth in space environments.
Did You Know?
- Veggie was designed in conjunction with ORBITEC and went operational aboard the ISS in 2014.
- A Veggie module weighs less than 8 kg (18 lb) and uses 90 watts.
- The lighting system uses red, blue, and green LEDs, with default intensities measured in micromoles per second per square meter.
- In 2015, Veggie succeeded in growing edible plants on the ISS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Vegetable Production System (Veggie)?
Veggie is a compact plant-growing unit created for the International Space Station to let astronauts cultivate fresh vegetables in orbit. Weighing under 8 kg and consuming just 90 watts, it was engineered for low-maintenance, low-power operation in microgravity.
Who developed and built Veggie?
NASA led the development of the system in partnership with the engineering firm ORBITEC. Together they focused on keeping the unit lightweight, energy-efficient, and simple enough for crew members to maintain without specialist support.
What is Veggie's purpose on the ISS?
Its primary role is to provide a sustainable, in-space food source while also giving astronauts a therapeutic gardening activity for recreation and stress relief. It simultaneously functions as a research platform for studying plant growth and efficient cultivation techniques in microgravity.
When did Veggie first become operational, and is there a second unit?
The first Veggie module became operational aboard the ISS in 2014. A second identical unit was delivered in April 2018 on the SpaceX CRS-14 resupply flight, doubling the station's on-orbit growing capacity.
What is Veggie's successor in NASA's space-agriculture lineup?
The Advanced Plant Habitat (APH), delivered to the station in 2017, is the next-generation system that builds on Veggie's foundational research into closed-loop plant cultivation for crewed missions.
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