Proof That Chilies Can Grow Fresh In Space, Make Taco Snacks Immediately!

JAKARTA - NASA's International Space Station (ISS) has just produced its first harvest, namely chili peppers. This red and green chili is a fresh body in space.

This harvest is part of an ISS experiment called the Plant Habitat-04 study, which is an ongoing series of efforts to grow plants in space on Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) soil. The harvest was first shared by one of NASA's astronauts, Megan McArthur, via her Twitter @Astro_Megan.

"After harvest, we tasted red and green chilies. Finally, I made my best space taco with beef fajita, rehydrated tomatoes, artichokes and chilies," tweeted Megan.

Quoted from the NASA page, Saturday, November 6, the chili plant arrived on the ISS since June 5, 2021 with the SpaceX Dragon CRS-22 rocket logistics supply mission. The researchers chose to experiment with paprika-type chilies, also called NuMex Española Improved Peppers, because bell peppers are an excellent source of Vitamin C. This is the first of two harvests for the trial, with the second planned for late November.

Compared to the 10 previous space plants that NASA astronauts grew and ate on the station, growing chili peppers has been one of the most challenging experiments. Bell peppers have a longer growing time and, unlike turnips or leafy greens, require pollination before fruit develops.

To address these challenges, plant researchers in the field use more than 180 sensors and controls in APH to closely monitor chili peppers and precisely control the environment for optimal growing conditions. The researchers also got help from astronauts who were willing to help.

In addition, Megan and the seven crew members who worked on the ISS last month (now back on Earth) also ate some of the red and green peppers for a survey of appetite and future scientific research.

Furthermore, through his official Twitter account @ISS_Research, he also shared photos of chili peppers and flowers that have not been picked from the tree. According to reports, the harvest will continue as the peppers produce flowers to grow crops again.

For information, the previous crop yields that have been successfully carried out in space are Mizuna mustard, radish, red lettuce, and two other types of lettuce.