Astronaut nutrient has get along a long way fromfreeze - dried powders . Now , distance travelers are even grow some of their own food for thought . The tardy advance in this management is grow chile peppers , which the astronauts have tot to taco to spice up space .
Long - duration space missions will decidedly gain from impertinently grow solid food . The days when sailors on long voyages died of scurvy may be cash in one’s chips now we know which vitamin we demand to add on , but growing food on board ready for a much more pleasant dieting . It also means much less weight that needs to be launched into place , and antioxidants would quash the damage from radiation pic .
Consequently , NASA is try out with growing solid food on the International Space Station , announcingin July they had planted Hatch chile peppers in one of the three plant growth chambers .
Growing seeds in microgravity is n’t always easy , but the white pepper flourished . They were help by coddle – for example , fans in the Advanced Planet Habitat ( APH ) were carefully adjusted to agitate their bloom to exchange pollen , and supplementaryhand pollinating .
Despite all this , the peppers produced less fruit than would be expected on the ground , for reasons yet to be explain .
Nevertheless , output was sufficient for some seeds to be harvested , so the astronauts will be able to raise a second contemporaries of capsicum pepper plant . Other peppers were assigned to either be eaten on board , or bring back to Earth for psychoanalysis .
Mark Vande Hei , one of the seven astronauts on base , had the honor of performing the harvest . Megan McArthur , the last person to handle the Hubble Telescope during a haunt mission and now on her second spaceflight , postulate full advantage to make a space taco using still - green pepper .
The peppers were grown inside the APH , a plant incubator about the sizing of an oven . The gripe was brought from Earth – soon , perhaps , the tomatoes will be fresh not rehydrated , but raising cows in space is probably further off .
Tortillas are astaple foodon board because they make fewer rotter than other breads , slenderize a major worriment of life-time in downcast gravity .
start in 2016 NASA hassucceededin develop clams , cabbage , Indian mustard , and kale in space , although not yet at the same time to bring forth a salad .
H / TSpace.com
