“To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower” 🌼 Astronauts living in space are in many ways cut off from the Earthly environment they’ve always known – the feeling of the wind and rain, the smell of dirt and grass. 🍃 When we send humans to Mars in the future, that disconnect will become even more extreme, as the Earth will eventually fade into a tiny speck. How do we help astronauts feel more connected to Home on long-duration missions? One possible solution is growing plants in space, something that has become a regular activity aboard the @iss. The practice not only provides a healthy source of food, but can also contribute to astronauts’ psychological well-being. 📸 1: Taken in 2016 by Astronaut Scott Kelly, a close-up view of Zinnia grown as part of the VEG-01 experiment is seen floating in front of the Cupola window on the International Space Station. An Earth limb is visible in the background. 📸 2: Taken in 2021 on the International Space Station, NASA Astronaut Michael Hopkins pauses to smell a flower that has bloomed from the middle of a Pak Choi plant, growing in a Small Plant Pillow during the Veg-03K experiment. Quote from “Auguries of Innocence” by William Blake