NASA astronaut Frank Rubio was harvesting tomatoes for the eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System (XROOTS) experiment aboard the ISS in 2022, but two of them went missing, that is until now. This experiment basically utilizes hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow plants without soil or other growth media, which could be viable for astronauts on deep space exploration missions.
What happened to the tomatoes? Well, the Expedition 70 crew did while celebrating the International Space Station’s 25th anniversary of operations. Rubio initially thought that he may have eaten them, but in reality, both were found in a plastic bag completely dehydrated. Aside from some discoloration, there was no evidence of visible microbial or fungal growth.
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The benefits of growing plants in space don’t stop there, astronauts report there are psychological benefits to time spent gardening, increasing their quality of life in space, and boosting their morale. Research aboard the space station is advancing the technology and scientific knowledge needed to successfully grow plants in space and help humans push the boundaries of space travel,” said NASA.
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