File:KSC-05-S-00041 (ksc 021705 radish rockets).webm

English: Radishes: you've probably never given them much thought, or respect, for that matter. Growing them certainly isn't rocket science -- or is it? Surprisingly, at NASA the two are closer than you might think. NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is home to the state-of-the-art Space Life Sciences Lab. It's here that research is under way to perfect the methods for equipping our astronauts to become farmers in space while fulfilling the Vision for Space Exploration. Radishes have been identified as a salad crop for space missions because they are small, grow rapidly, provide essential nutrients and give variety to the diet. Dr. Gary Stutte is one of the researchers trying to solve the many problems inherent in space gardening, starting with radishes. 'In a spacecraft there are a lot of sources of contaminants that can affect the growth of radishes. Some are like common hand wipes that will give off alcohols. Others are the operating of equipment. And one of the problems is that when you start using those hand wipes that have their fragrance and cleaners, those volatiles don't disappear from the atmosphere. So that’s one of the questions we're really looking at is what affect does that accumulation have on plants.' While there are established safety guidelines for humans, Dr. Stutte has found the same guidelines don't work when it comes to healthy plants. Multiply this problem by the number of other contaminants present in a spacecraft and it's easy to see the complexity of space gardening. So these scientists press on, knowing that some day, as our astronauts travel to the Moon, Mars and beyond, they'll be able to enjoy fresh vegetables to supplement their diet, thanks to valuable research and a few little radishes.