Purdue scientist sending tomatoes into space to study plant defense

Any trip to Mars, likely to take a year or longer, will require astronauts to grow at least some of their own food along the way since it can cost $10,000 to send a pound of anything just as far as Earth’s orbit. Astronauts will need the nutrients provided by fruits, leafy greens and other vegetables grown during their journey.
Before a journey to Mars happens, however, scientists need to answer fundamental questions about how life is affected by spaceflight and low- or no-gravit