International Space Station astronauts grow hot peppers for NASA for the first time

Astronauts are growing red and green chili peppers in space for what will be “one of the longest and most difficult plant experiments ever on board the orbiting laboratory.” says NASA.

Hatch’s chili seeds arrived at the station in June aboard a SpaceX commercial re-delivery services mission.

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, a flight engineer who helped grow ‘exceptional’ red romaine lettuce in space in 2016, began the experiment by introducing 48 seeds into the advanced plant habitat ( APH) on July 12.

The size of a stove, APH is the largest plant-growing facility on the International Space Station. Equipped with 180 sensors and controls for monitoring, it allows the experiment to be piloted, among other things, from the Canadian Space Center, so that astronauts can spend less time treating tumors.

“This is the first time that NASA astronauts have grown a crop of hot peppers on the station from seed to adulthood,” NASA said in a press release.

Principal investigator Matt Roman said this experiment is one of the most complex experiments on the International Space Station to date due to its germination and long duration.

“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 experiment comes after astronauts began breeding prostitutes in 2015, which NASA described as “a harbinger of longer flowers.”

Researchers spent two years evaluating more than two dozen peppers and ultimately opted for NuMex “Española Improved” peppers, a hybrid of New Mexico peppers.

Romain said employees may prefer spicy or spicy foods because they may temporarily lose their sense of taste or smell after living in microgravity.

The peppers should be ready for harvest in about three and a half months. After eating it, the team plans to send the rest to Earth for surgery.