A Decade of Growing Vegetables | China Space Station
Chinese astronauts are now able to reap a bountiful in-space harvest high above the Earth almost ten years on from 'planting' the very first lettuce in-orbit with these advances not only delivering pivotal scientific breakthroughs but also paving the way for future long-term human space habitation.
The story of Chinese astronauts growing vegetables in space now spans nearly a decade, as the orbital garden has undergone a steady expansion to include a wider variety of produce. This has enriched crew members' diets and greatly advanced space mutation breeding.
It all began back in 2016, when the Shenzhou-11 crew planted the first lettuce seeds aboard the then operational Tiangong-2 space lab, a testbed that laid the groundwork for the future permanent Tiangong Space Station that first took shape with the core module Tianhe being launched in April 2021.
In 2022, the crew members of the Shenzhou-14 were given the honor of finally tasting the first space-grown lettuce in orbit that they fittingly enjoyed during China's Mid-Autumn Festival, a time traditionally known for giving thanks to a good harvest. This mission also saw the successful completion of a full life cycle of rice, from seed to seed, in space for the first time.
In the years that followed, the subsequent crews of the Shenzhou-15, 16, and 17 missions continued the work with three varieties of lettuce and cherry tomatoes ripening in succession. The Shenzhou-19 crew that arrived in October 2024 then added sweet potatoes to the menu.
Recently, using an aeroponic cultivation system, the Shenzhou-21 astronauts celebrated another mouthwatering harvest of cherry tomatoes, marking a significant milestone as the Tiangong space farm has moved from ensuring its produce not merely survives but now thrives.
However, space farming is about much more than enriching the diet of astronauts. The green plants serve as a gentle life-support system aboard the space station, replenishing oxygen, purifying water, and also helping maintain a calming environment for astronauts.
Moreover, space-induced mutation breeding programs have already promoted the development of more than 700 new varieties back on Earth.
While celebrating this ten-year milestone, astronauts will be kept busy cultivating a new breed of crops with plans being put in place for wheat, carrots, and medicinal plants to be next in line to appear in the unique space farm.
Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞) Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight
Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 34 seconds
Release Date: March 25, 2026
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