Scientists are about to eat radishes grown in Martian soil

Pack your bags, because it looks like we are a step closer to making colonizing Mars a reality: researchers at the Netherlands’ Wageningen University have grown vegetables in nutrient-poor soil designed to closely mimic that of the moon and Mars. Looks like we weren’t the only ones intrigued by the possibilities in The Martian!

And it worked! Just look at these radishes:

Well, the test results are in, and pull up a fork: The peas, tomatoes, rye, and radishes, all had heavy metal concentrations within normal levels. In fact, the peas and tomatoes actually tested at lower levels than their Earth cousins.

Nonetheless, there is one other potential safety risk scientists will look for in the vegetables. As Wamelink explained in a Gizmodo follow-up:

They sure look safe to eat:

Though, Wamelink notes on the Facebook page that the food grown on the moon is less-than-appetizing: “The harvest on moon soil simulant is not very good. It looks like we still have some issues with the moon soil simulant.” (That’s okay, guys, we’d rather live on Mars than the moon, anyway.)

Now we know that when we colonize Mars, the potential for four and five star restaurants is growing!