Veggie

Spaceflight Research Tool

Steve Swanson Astronaut astrobotany plants in space veggie
Astronaut Steve Swanson next to Veggie | Image Credit: NASA
  • Full Name: Vegetable Production System
  • A.K.A: Veggie, VEGGIE
  • Affiliation: NASA, Sierra Space (fka ORBITEC)
  • Country: United States
  • Focus Areas: Plant Growth Unit
  • Type: Spaceflight
  • Spacecraft: International Space Station
  • In Service: 2014 – Present
  • Predecessor: ABRS
  • Successor: APH
  • Astrobotanist Lead:
      • Dr. Gioia Massa (NASA/KSC)
  • Confirmed Plants Grown:
      • Red Romaine Lettuce, Dragoon Lettuce, Red Russian Kale
  • Key Features:
      • Plant pillows with seeds installed in a root mat, where water is injected into
      • Handheld light meter and sensor
      • Large growth volume to allow larger plants to grow

Veggie (Vegetable Production Unit, often stylized as VEGGIE) is NASA’s vegetable plant production system currently deployed on the ISS.  It was produced by the Madison, WI-based Sierra Nevada subsidiary ORBITEC.  The VEGGIE system was activated in May of 2014 and contains a series of LED lights optimized for plant growth.  The goal of the system is to promote spaceflight plant biology research and the production of various crops.  In August 2015, astronauts produced red romaine lettuce for consumption.  There are currently 2 VEGGIE units on the International Space Station.  Plants are grown with root mats and ‘plant pillows’, which are small, wicked pillows that contained calcined clay and fertilizer for the plants to grow in.  The lights on VEGGIE are primarily red and blue light, which are LEDS optimized for plant growth because they have the highest energy wavelengths.  Airflow and pressure are also controlled in each of the VEGGIE systems.

Related: NASA Target Crops