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1、Growing a vegetablegardenisntso difficult,on earth.Buta space garden well,thatsanotherstory. Still,asSheriQuinn reports, plantswill likelybe animportantpartof futurespace missions,notonlytosustainthetravelersbodies,but their souls, as well.Plants are a vital part of the earths eco-system, and theyre
2、 just as crucialintheartificialenvironmentofan orbitingspacestation.As on earth,theyprovidefood, and offer a sense of tranquility.ScientistsfromtheU.S. space agency NASAand Utah StateUniversityareworkingwith Russian colleagues to figure out how to grow edible plants in space, andunderstandtheirpsych
3、ologicalvalue tospace explorers.Bruce Bugbee isa professorof plant physiology at Utah State. His lab helps test so-called space gardens.We now aretryingtoquantify,how importantarethey?he explains,addingthathe is not just talking about providing fresh greens for the crews diet. Are therepeople that j
4、ust dont need plants around and if there are, are those the kind ofpeople we want to be flying? Are those the most mentally stable people or are themost mentally stable people the ones that like plants and like interacting withplants?In fact, since 2002 the International Space Station has had a smal
5、l greenhousegarden,called Lada. NamedfortheancientRussian goddess ofspring,Lada was createdtoprovidegreen space forthecrew during theirlongflights.Itwas a collaborativeeffort by Utah State researchers at the Space Dynamics Lab and scientists from theInstitute for Biomedical Problems in Moscow. The s
6、uitcase-sized plot has produceda small but steady supply of fresh produce, mainly peas and a type of fast growinglettucecalledmizuna.Scientistsuse Lada to studyhow plantsgrow inmicrogravity.Space Dynamics Lab engineer Shane Topham says Lada also provides a welcomedistraction for crewmembers. In fact
7、, when the space shuttle a few years ago brokeup on re-entry,the crewmembers who were on thespace stationwere obviouslyshakenup about that, and one of the things that the Russian space program did to try andcalm them down was to assignthem more crew time towardsgardening because theynoticeditdidhave
8、 a calmingeffect.So iftheycan use thatas a psychologicaltooltohelpregulate the worry or difficulties psychologically then thats a very good benefitto having plants in space, independent of the food.Now, researchersareworkingto quantifythosepsychologicalbenefits.They planto track the amount of time c
9、rewmembers spend tending the garden. Vladimir Gushin,a psychologistat RussiasInstituteforBiomedicalProblems,saysthiskindofstudyis new and theres not enough data yet to make scientific conclusions.Gushinsays confinementon thespace stationisnttheproblemfor thecrew,itsa lack of stimulithings often take
10、n for granted onearth likewind blowing, birdschirping, or seeing a new face. We have to minimize the cargo on the ship and atthe same time keep thecrew alive physically and mentally. Hesays green growingplants can make a difference on the ship. Plants are one of the opportunities thatmakes them feel
11、 something is changing, that nature is with them, a piece of earthis with themthat gives them the feeling that there is still of piece of earth,of life. From this point, nothing can substitute for plants.The trickis gettingtheplantstothinktheyare growing on earthwith sunlight.In thetiny Lada greenho
12、use,plantsgrow upwards towardscommonhousehold fluorescentbulbs.Insteadof soil,theyreplantedina bed of baked clay particles.Sinceexcesswater wont drain away in micro-gravity, its meticulously measured and replaced,and air is recycled through filters to remove trace contaminants that are toxic tothe p
13、lants.The spacegardenishelpingresearcherslearnmore about airqualityandagricultureon earth, buttheultimategoalis togrow food in space forlong missionsto other planets. In fact, Utah State professor Bruce Bugbee looks forward to agreenhouse on Mars. I think its more than possible, I think its essential, hesays. Theres a point at which you cant possibly bring enough food with youyou
