NASA Has Announced The First Fruit They'll Grow on The ISS, And It's Hot

Science Alert ^ | 07/15/2019 | JACINTA BOWLER

[BenLurkin]

Researchers are hoping to send up Española chili pepper plants (Capsicum annuum), which could make peppers the very first fruit to be grown in space by US astronauts.

"The astronauts have often expressed a desire for more spicy and flavourful foods, and so having a bit of hot flavour also seemed to be a good thing. Plus, many peppers are very high in vitamin C, which is important for space diets."

Although there are thousands of different types of chili peppers, Española peppers have been chosen in part because they grow at high altitudes, have short growing periods, and can be easily pollinated.

Astronauts and cosmonauts have been successfully growing plants in space stations since 1982, when the crew of the Soviet Salyut 7 spacecraft first grew the model plant Arabidopsis.

Russian cosmonauts have also been eating their own space produce since 2003, but it wasn't until 2015 that American astronauts got their first taste of space lettuce.

We've now grown plenty of different space vegetables on the ISS, including lettuce, Swiss chard, radishes, Chinese cabbage, and peas.

[a fool in paradise]

Digestive problems in zero-G?

[HighSierra5]

They’re gonna need to take some Mehican field workers to tend the crops and clean the toilets.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*

[MichaelCorleone]

-—Although there are thousands of different types of chili peppers, Española peppers have been chosen in part because they grow at high altitudes, have short growing periods, and can be easily pollinated.-—

Or could it be you are afraid of being called a white nationalist space agency? Racist perhaps?

[Right Wing Assault]

the very first fruit to be grown in space by US astronauts

I wonder what took so long.

[xrmusn]

Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I misread that title.

I thought they had selected a fruit to go

WHEW!!!!!!

[beethovenfan]

Is there a fruit among the astronauts?

[kingu]

That’s the funny part that you don’t think about until you’re in an isolated system without insects, pollination. Meh on the choice though, the pepper they chose gives more heat than flavor, and the flavor is what most of the astronauts crave.

[Molon Labbie]

Montezuma’s revenge in zero G?

[Celtic Conservative]

Make sure they run some kaopectate on the next supply ship.

CC

[Squantos]

“Space lettuce” ..... on earth its called “Charmin Ultra Soft” ......

[higgmeister]

Make sure they run some kaopectate on the next supply ship.

Did you know that kaopectate is not made from kaolin any more? Just another cultural obliteration...

[Delta 21]

Can you imagine the smell in that orbiting cesspit?

Now they are growing oderiferous insanely hot peppers that have no doubt been watered with the 100th time recycled urine of all the past crews (think about it).

Mmmmmm.

[Delta 21]

Bruce Durn, please pick up the white courtesy phone

Hippies in space. Thats all we need.

[mylife]

This can not end well.

I made a film called “The Tomato That Ate Pittsburgh”

[mylife]

Since when is a pepper a “fruit”?
I thought LBGTQXYZLMNOP month was over.

[mylife]

We grew radishes on submarines.

Short growing cycle is key, and they respond to fluorescent light.

Lettuce would work but it takes up to much real estate.

[Celtic Conservative]

Yep, but the stuff they use now is mineralogically very similar.. and cheaper.

CC

[jmcenanly]

The seed-bearing portion of a plant is considered to be a fruit if you are in botany class. If you are at a grocery store, It is all that and has a lot of juice in it.