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FoodSurprise 4/5Difficulty 3/5Reviewed on September 13, 2026

The first plant grown and eaten in space was lettuce.

Why it is true

In 2015, astronauts on the International Space Station grew romaine lettuce in a hydroponic system and ate it in orbit. Before that, several plants had already been grown and studied, but lettuce was the first to be consumed as food.

Source: NASA

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