Astronauts Find First Tomato Grown in Space, 25 Years After It Vanished
After 25 years of being one of the universe’s greatest mysteries, the first tomato grown in space has been found by the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The tomato, grown by American astronaut Frank Rubio in March, was part of a NASA experiment to grow produce in space for longer-term missions in the future.
Rubio, who holds the record for the longest spaceflight at 370 days, initially harvested the red robin tomato with great pride. However, he misplaced the fruit shortly after taking it out of a safety bag to show to some students. Despite spending 18 to 20 hours searching for the missing tomato, Rubio was unable to find it and assumed it had been accidentally tossed in the trash.
The weightless nature of space presents challenges when it comes to keeping objects secured, and it is likely that the tomato floated off in the large International Space Station. In the months following the tomato’s disappearance, there were even suspicions that Rubio had eaten it, a claim he denied until the tomato was discovered.
The announcement of the tomato’s discovery was made by NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, who exonerated Rubio and confirmed that the tomato had been found. However, she did not provide details on where the tomato was found or what condition it was in.
After 25 years of speculation, the mystery of the missing space-grown tomato has finally been solved, marking a significant moment in space agriculture history.