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A batch of chili pepper seeds has been planted on the International Space Station as part of a new experiment that aims to expand the range of foods grown in space ahead of a possible future mission to Mars.
Hatch’s 48 chilli seeds arrived at the Orbital Outpost on June 5 with the SpaceX Dragon CRS-22 commercial resupply mission. Now, red and green chili peppers are starting to grow as part of NASA’s Plant Habitat-04 experiment, the agency said in a statement on Tuesday, July 13.
Astronauts get most of their fresh food supplies from cargo ships, but earlier versions of the Habitat experiment were already producing delicious treats. During the three previous harvests, the crews took advantage of the space red lettuce, Mizuna mustard and two other types of lettuce, and radishes. Astronauts also grew flowering plants, such as zinnias, to beautify their home.
Current Expedition 65 astronaut Shane Kimbrough, who got a taste of space outredgeous red romaine lettuce during his 2016 mission, he himself initiated this version of the Habitat experiment. Sadly, Kimbrough will likely be back on Earth when the chilies are ready in four months, as he and others SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts are expected to collapse in October.
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Nonetheless, the NASA Kennedy Space Center Exploration Research and Technology Program experimentation team paid tribute to the crew’s efforts to continue to develop space foods as part of a larger research effort. wide for feeding astronauts during deep space missions. Once on the Moon or Mars, astronauts will no longer be able to rely on supplies from Earth and will have to grow more food locally. This is where Habitat’s research will fit in, his team said.
“This is one of the most complex experiments on the station to date due to the long germination and growth times,” said Matt Romeyn, principal investigator for Plant Habitat-04. in the NASA statement. “We have already tested flowering to increase the chances of a successful harvest, as the astronauts will need to pollinate the peppers to grow fruit.”
The experience is housed in the Advanced Plant Habitat, one of three plant chambers in which astronauts can grow and harvest food, flowers, and other crops. Much of the maintenance work can be done remotely by ground crews at Kennedy, reducing the working time of busy astronauts in orbit.
Astronauts are known to be stuffy heads in microgravity, so spicy food are often on the menu anyway to encourage them to eat. This variety of chili, called NuMex “Española Improved” (a hybrid Hatch chili pepper) grows naturally in areas such as New Mexico, according to NASA. Researchers spent two years choosing from two dozen varieties before choosing this one for space travel, due to its potential to feed astronauts on missions further from Earth.
“We’re limited to crops that don’t need storage or intensive processing,” Romeyn said. All peppers also have the benefit of being rich in vitamin C and other nutrients, providing good nutrition as well as flavor. Plus, the colorful red – which will show up late in the growth cycle – may benefit astronauts’ mental health, according to previous studies suggesting that bright veggies are a godsend, Romeyn added.
The crew will sample some of the 48 peppers (this number assumes all seeds planted are reaching maturity) and return the rest to Earth for further analysis. The science team will assess the flavor and texture of the peppers based on the crew’s feedback, as well as Scoville’s measurements, which assess the “warmth” or spiciness of the plants. This, according to the researchers, may depend in part on the environment in which it was grown, so changing the amount of water, light and heat the plants receive could actually affect their temperature.
“The combination of microgravity, light quality, temperature and humidity of the root zone will all affect flavor, so it will be interesting how the fruit grows, ripens and tastes,” LaShelle Spencer , head of the science team for the Plant Habitat-04 project, said in the same statement from NASA.
“The food that astronauts eat has to be as good as the rest of their gear,” Spencer added. “To successfully send people to Mars and bring them back to Earth, we will need not only the most nutritious foods, but also the best tasting foods.”
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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