Astronauts Harvest First Chilli Peppers on International Space Station, Make Tacos With Them

Astronauts aboard ISS harvested the chilli peppers as part of Plant Habitat-04 study.

By Edited by Gadgets 360 Newsdesk | Updated: 3 November 2021 12:22 IST

Astronauts Harvest First Chilli Peppers on International Space Station, Make Tacos With Them

Photo Credit: Twitter/ @Astro_Megan

Astronauts used the space-grown chilli peppers to dish up some tacos

Highlights

Astronauts harvested chilli peppers as part of a study
Twitter users were in awe of the space-grown food
Astronaut Megan McArthur shared photos of the chilli peppers on Twitter

NASA's International Space Station (ISS) saw its first harvest of crops on October 29. The agency shared a photo on Twitter and mentioned that the station's first harvest was chilli peppers. This harvest was a part of an ISS experiment, called Plant Habitat-04 study. Astronaut Megan McArthur, who is stationed at the ISS, posted another update about this feat. The crew onboard relished some tacos, thanks to the chilli peppers that they harvested at the station. McArthur tweeted, "Friday Feasting. After the harvest, we got to taste red and green chile. Then we filled out surveys (got to have the data). Finally, I made my best space tacos yet: fajita beef, rehydrated tomatoes and artichokes, and hatch chile."

The tweets incited many reactions on the micro-blogging platform. Users were in awe of the space-grown food. Many dropped questions about the process of growing food in space. Some even wondered how the filling inside the tacos managed to remain intact in microgravity.

Friday Feasting! After the harvest, we got to taste red and green chile. Then we filled out surveys (got to have the data! ????). Finally, I made my best space tacos yet: fajita beef, rehydrated tomatoes & artichokes, and HATCH CHILE! https://t.co/pzvS5A6z5u pic.twitter.com/fJ8yLZuhZS
— Megan McArthur (@Astro_Megan) October 29, 2021

One such user (@spidey87824157) requested for cooking or assembling video for the tacos. He commented, "How do you even chop chilli without bits floating away?"

Wow that looks yummy. Oh please you've got to make a cooking/assembling video, I mean how do you do that in microgravity? How do you even chop chilli without bits floating away? (I'm imagining cries of pain as a little bit of chilli floats away and lands in somebody's eye! ????)
— spidey (@spidey87824157) November 2, 2021

Another user (@loneliestpickle) posted a funny GIF of a huge taco floating in space. The reaction read, "So what you're really saying is that taco was out of this world?"

So what you're really saying is that taco was out of this world? pic.twitter.com/glEhkLi3sr
— TheLoneliestPickle (@loneliestpickle) October 30, 2021

More interesting comments flooded in. A user (@Alexandrinian) claimed that chilli peppers grown in space would sell at a high price at an auction. He took a fun dig at the "gourmet kind" and added, "It could even be worth enough money to refurbish the whole station."

In fact, an auction of chili peppers grown in space might reach a very high price amidst the gourmet kind, it could even be worth enough money to refurbish the whole statuon, dont underestimate the urges for peculiar food on some of them. ????????️????♻️????️...????️????️????️????????????????????????????????️????️????️????️
— Nelson Cal (@Alexandrinian) October 30, 2021

This user (@VickyFr76545922) wasn't content with pepper farms on the station. For him, "chillies are not enough." He suggested, in a cheeky way, that the ISS should also plan a poultry farm. "Just take two-three Broiler eggs and open your poultry farm in the bulbs, chickens will come out and then chickens will become hens and then hens will give more eggs."

So Megan, when you are opening poultries farm in space, in the bulbs ? Just take two three Broiler eggs and open your poultry farm in the bulbs , chickens will come out and then chickens will become hens and then hens will give more eggs. Superb idea, chillies are not enough.⛪????
— Vicky Francis (@VickyFr76545922) November 1, 2021

How's Nokia brand licensee trying to compete against Realme and Xiaomi in India? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.