NASA recently claimed that they have solved the mystery of a missing space-grown tomato after eight months. The American Space Agency has now released a video showing the small tomatoes packed in a Ziploc bag. Astronaut Frank Rubio harvested the tomatoes on the International Space Station.
The tomatoes were discovered in the six-bedroom condominium. It showed scientists how the 17 per cent humidity onboard impacted the food in a Ziploc bag. Astronaut Rubio stored the food for some time before it floated away.
In its update, NASA said, "Despite being nearly a year after the initial disappearance of the tomatoes, the fruit was found in a plastic bag dehydrated and slightly squished." They added, "Other than some discolouration, it had no visible microbial or fungal growth."
Rubio previously mentioned a single lost tomato, which NASA has now confirmed grown as part of the eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System, or XROOTS experiment in 2022.
The agency added, "The experiment uses hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow plants without soil or other growth media and could provide suitable solutions for plant systems needed for future space exploration missions."
Although the discovery was a cheerful moment for Rubio, NASA said that the true objective for growing food on the ISS was to practise procedures that could be used during Moon and Mars research.
NASA has been doing several experiments to provide fresh food to astronauts, and cultivating food is one of them. The agency explained that cultivating space food had intangible benefits. "The benefits of growing plants in space don't stop there. Astronauts report there are psychological benefits to time spent gardening, increasing their life quality in space, and boosting their morale."
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