Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are going to have a very special meal tomorrow. Red romaine lettuce is on the menu, and when they take a bite, it will mark the first time astronauts eat food that was grown on the ISS.
Casual observers may be surprised to hear that fresh vegetables haven't been growing on ISS for years. After all, if sci-fi movies have taught us anything, it's that every space ship needs a bountiful greenhouse to support its crew (the lush space garden from Sunshine is pictured above).
A greenhouse called Lada has been aboard the ISS since 2002 and has been used to study plant growth in microgravity for many years. But, until now, astronauts aboard the space station haven't been eating their science experiments.