Beijing: (RightNow) China has successfully cultivated 14 plant varieties in space. This experiment is a significant step towards sustainable crop production in orbit.

The Chinese Astronaut Center reports that this milestone lays the foundation for large-scale crop production on the space station. This achievement was highlighted at the Tianjin Municipality Aerospace Conference.

Astronaut Zhang Hongzhang from the Shenzhou 21 crew shared images of the crops grown on the Tiangong Space Station. These crops include carrots, lettuce, and potatoes, cultivated in the space garden.

This development is part of China’s long-term manned spaceflight mission, which began in October 2021. Efforts continue to reduce reliance on Earth for space habitation.

It is noteworthy that, according to China’s Astronaut Center, establishing a self-sustaining ecosystem in space is crucial for regenerating water, air, and food.