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- cross-posted to:
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TL;DR:
The problem is growing leafy plants like lettuce and spinach in space can come with a side dish of bacteria, according to a new study from a team at the University of Delaware. In tests on plants grown in simulated microgravity, they were shown to actually be more susceptible than normal to the Salmonella enterica pathogen.
Sounds like not a big problem at all. Seems like they’ll just have to use appropriate cleaning methods. Even in the worst case scenario they would probably just have to use food irradiation.
https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/food-irradiation-what-you-need-know
EDIT
In fact reading my own link i learned that they ALREADY irradiate food that astronauts eat
Would they be able to do that in the space station though?
Sounds more like it’s irradiated on earth and sent up.
Just have a window with no radiation shielding in the glass. 😁
(Jokes aside, I think irradiating food uses radiation specifically in the gamma range, but it’s been a long time since I’ve read up on it).
I was gonna half heartedly suggest just opening the airlock for 20 minutes while facing the sun /s
Yes, irradiation on a space station would be very easy
Yes, but safely and properly are a different thing entirely.
No, it would be trivial
…. Than why is it only used on a few foods currently if it’s so easy and simple?
Because the general population is dumb and when they hear the word radiation they get freaked out and want nothing to do with it
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/food-irradiation
Isn’t biofilm a problem in general? From what I’ve heard, Mir was covered in grime at the end and the ISS isn’t looking much better now.
The ISS has a very strict cleaning regime. Essentially every work minute not spent on research or maintenance is for cleaning. I think to remember that they even have one day a week when all they do is clean.
Chipotle: Salmonella lettuce? I don’t see the problem.
They didn’t charge $0.50 extra for it.
Now it’s a feature not a bug. Of course they are going to charge extra for it.
