Tacos made with space-grown chilli

NASA is conducting research on growing peppers on the International Space Station, and for the first time ever, astronauts actually ate tacos using peppers grown on the International Space Station.

On October 29, the ISS Research Information Twitter account (@ISS_Research) was posted on the ISS by astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei as part of one of the most difficult plant experiments ever conducted on the ISS (Plant Habitat-04). He said it was the first time he had harvested peppers.

An experiment conducted by NASA on the ISS is an experiment in which peppers are grown in outer space. The peppers harvested this time were grown in space over a period of four months, and ISS astronauts eat some of the harvested peppers and send the rest to Earth for analysis. The pepper cultivation experiment took a long time from germination to harvest, so it was one of the most difficult plant experiments performed at the ISS so far.

For more than 20 years, astronauts have been eating fresh and processed foods shipped on regular replenishment missions for their space activities. However, in preparation for the manned lunar landing mission, Artemis, and manned Mars exploration, they are exploring ways to grow plants on the ISS to secure new food sources.

Chili peppers are grown because they contain several important nutrients and a lot of vitamin C. In addition, it is suitable for space cultivation because it has a high potential to grow well under microgravity and is strong. In addition, chilli adds great versatility to astronaut meals, is easy to handle under microgravity, and requires no cooking or complicated processing. In addition, because the amount of microorganisms in red pepper is small, it can be safely consumed.

NASA is testing more than 20 varieties around the world to find peppers suitable for space cultivation. The one used in the test was a cultivar called Hatch developed by New Mexico State University. Among them, the improved variety (Numex Espanola Improved) was judged suitable for cultivation in a managed environment such as the ISS because it grew well in experiments conducted on the ground.

The NASA team says that hatches grown in space aren’t exactly a hatch, because peppers grown in Hatch Valley, New Mexico, are hatches. The APH, a plant-growing device aboard the ISS, has 48 devices called Science Carriers that load baked clay and specially formulated fertilizer to grow roots. Sterilized chilli seeds are added here. The APH is about the size of a large microwave and has over 180 sensors to monitor plant growth and the environment.

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough added water to the APH and started experimenting with pepper cultivation on July 12, 2021. While controlling environmental conditions such as water and lighting, the experiment was also monitored from the Earth. The astronauts worked with ground researchers to regularly check the condition of peppers and remove APH plant debris. In the pepper cultivation experiment, it is said that the movement of pollen was promoted by gently blowing air using a fan to ensure that the flowers were pollinated. After that, the peppers were opened safely and the fruit was harvested at the end of October.

Then, on October 30, astronaut Katherine Megan McArthur updated her Twitter account and reported that she had made tacos with peppers harvested there. By the way, it is said that the second harvest is scheduled to take place in November. Related information can be found here.