Astronauts celebrate their great harvest of chili peppers in space with taco night

NASA astronauts celebrated with a taco night at the International Space Station, their second and last record harvest chili peppers in space for the Plant Habitat experiment – 04.

NASA Astronaut Mark Vande Hei prepared 12 of the cultivated chili peppers to return to Earth, and the crew ate the rest. Some team members completed surveys as part of the collected data and provided feedback on the chili peppers.

When the chili peppers return to Earth, the PH team – 04 will analyze the collected data. The results will help to show the effect of microgravity on the crop.

“Our goal is to enable the production of viable and sustainable crops for future missions as people explore the Moon and Mars, ”said Matt Romeyn, Principal Investigator at PH – of NASA Kennedy Space Center.

The cultivation of chili peppers in space, it is the longest plant experiment in the history of the International Space Station. Chili peppers were grown as part of the Plant Habitat research – (PH – 04) concluded 137 days after its start.

It was about the cultivation of a hybrid variety of chili peppers called NuMex “Española Improved” Pepper.

In June, a scientific vehicle containing 48 disinfected pepper seeds were launched to the space station. The first pepper harvest was on 29 October. Plant Habitat – 04 concluded on 26 November with the second harvest.

The crew ate the first crop. NASA Astronaut’s Expedition 65, Megan McArthur added the peppers to a taco made with beef fajita , rehydrated tomatoes and artichokes.

“The level of excitement around the first harvest and the space tacos was unprecedented for us,” said Romeyn.

During the course of the experiment, all but four germinated plants were eliminated, which which gave each plant enough room to grow, in a total area the size of a large microwave oven.

In its Most , plants have grown similarly on the space station and on the ground , although with some differences that are due to microgravity.

“Peppers are delayed about two weeks on the space station. We believe this is due to a delay in germination, probably related to fluid challenges in microgravity. ”Said Romeyn.

Microgravity could also have an effect on capsaicin levels in bell peppers , as space-grown chili peppers were a bit hotter.

The pedicels, the extension of the stems that connect to the flowers and fruit, were not curved as seen in the ground , but they were completely straight, which is a microgravity effect.

From 2015, the astronauts have eaten nine types of leafy vegetables grown in the Veggie growth chamber, as well as two crops grown in the APH chamber: radishes and peppers.

After the success of PH – 04, upcoming planned edible crop experiments include growing dwarf tomatoes and The test of new types of green leafy vegetables.

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