Astronauts aboard the International Space System are in for a leafy treat on Monday—when they'll finally be able to dine on the first-ever batch of lettuce grown in space specifically for human consumption.

Astronauts are about to get their first bites of space lettuce.


On Monday, Expedition 44 crew members on board the International Space Station will sample red romaine lettuce grown in microgravity—the first such batch grown for human consumption.


Half the lettuce will be returned to Earth for further study as part of the Veg-01 experiment designed to study the function and performance of the Veggie plant growth system. Growing food in space is considered integral to long-term space missions.