NASA Chili Pepper Project Breaks World Record Twice! A Feat for Feeding Astronauts With Crop Grown in Space

NASA's Chili pepper project recently achieved a new milestone it broke a world record for feeding the most astronauts with a crop cultivated in space.

Described in a ScienceAlert report as a plant experiment of the American space agency, which consisted of both growing and harvesting of chilis, this has also made history, being the longest one to "take place on the International Space Station."

This was the second time chili peppers had been cultivated in space. Last month, for the first time around, the crew at the ISS used the harvests in tacos along with vegetables and fajita beef.

Chief investigator, for the pepper experiment Matt Rommeyn said the crop production team at NASA did not expect two records for an achievement.

ALSO READ: International Space Station's First Plant Transplant Aided by Microgravity

(Photo : NASA/Megan McArthur on Wikimedia Commons)
A view of a green chile pepper being grown as part of the Plant Habitat-04 investigation aboard the International Space Station.

Harvest in Space, Slightly Delayed

Chili pepper plants were a little delayed in their harvest compared with their testing on Earth, explained Romeyn. Meaning, the experiment on ISS could be extended for 17 days more.

Essentially, the pepper seeds at the center of the PH-04 or Plant Habitat-04 grew for four months prior to their harvest in October.

The experiment's chief investigator added the schedule happened to take them outside the "changing-over" from the Crew-2 astronauts to the Crew-3 astronauts, enabling several of them to have the chance to try the peppers.

In May, Romeyn spoke to Insider, where this report originally came out, about how cultivating vegetables in space helped keep the good health of astronauts.

Longest Experiment

For the newer studies, peppers were initially expected to grow for about 120 days, said Romeyn. Nevertheless, they ended up growing for 137 days, becoming the longest experiment in pace.

Before this, the longest experiment took place in 2016 when it took 90 days for zinnia flowers to grow, explained Romeyn.

Romeyn explained further in a press release that the process, PH-04 pushed the high-tech in the production of space crops substantially.

The experiment comprised taking a field cultivar of a Hatch chili pepper which came from New Mexico, shrinking it so it could fit inside the plant habitat, and finding out how to grow the first typically recognized fruiting crop in space, substantially. Everything was done over the period of a couple of years.

Tacos appear to be the most famous meal astronauts are enjoying in space after the harvest of chili peppers.

What Lies Ahead for Crops in Space

In recent Facebook and Instagram posts, Astronaut Kayla Barron posted that the crew consumed the fresh peppers as a part of their "taco night."

Romeyn said the peppers were hot. All specifications are some of the fruit was on the spicier part, which is quite a surprise, given the unknown impact microgravity could have on the levels of capsaicin of peppers.

According to NASA, after the success of the PH-04 experiment, the next crop the group at Kennedy Space Center is planning to grow comprise dwarf tomato and testing new leafy green types.

Commenting on the team's plan for the future, he said they went into this experiment, knowing it would not be easy to cultivate peppers in microgravity, although this particular experiment was a wildly successful presentation that they are on the right pathway for the production of spacecraft.

The objective of such experiments is to allow a feasible and sustainable crop production for future long-term missions to the moon and eventually, the Red Planet added Romeyn.

Related information about chili in space is shown on NASA's Kennedy Space Center's YouTube video below:

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