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Mysterious case of tomato lost in space solved after 8 months. Here’s what happened

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) revealed about the lost space-grown tomato that went missing eight months ago.

Published on: Dec 9, 2023, 15:30:46 IST
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A mystery surrounding a lost space-grown tomato was finally solved. It all started eight months ago when astronaut Frank Rubio lost one of the tomatoes after harvesting a bunch for the first time in space. Other astronauts also jokingly said that maybe Rubio had eaten the tomato. However, during a recent live broadcast by NASA, the truth behind the whole mystery was unveiled.

The image shows the astronaut who originally misplaced the tomato. (NASA)
The image shows the astronaut who originally misplaced the tomato. (NASA)

Turns out, no one had eaten the tomato but it was lost and has now been found. However, the astronauts didn’t reveal where the produce was found or its condition.

Also Read: NASA astronauts drop tool bag during ISS spacewalk, you can see it from Earth

A video of the live broadcast shows how the astronauts aboard the ISS start giggling when asked if there is something they have lost and are still searching for. One of the astronauts replies by saying, “Well, we might have found something that someone had been looking for quite a while. Our good friend Frank Rubio who headed home has been blamed for quite a while for eating the tomato but we can exonerate him. We found the tomato.”

Take a look at the full video of ISS astronauts here:

How did Rubio react to this news?

Rubio was on the space station for 371 days and set a record for the longest a US astronaut has ever spent in microgravity, reports CNN. While talking about the lost tomato he shared, “Unfortunately — because that’s just human nature — a lot of people are like, ‘He probably ate the tomato’. And I wanted to find it mostly so I could prove like I did not eat the tomato.”

“It probably desiccated to the point where you couldn’t tell what it was,” he added while explaining about the tomato’s condition.

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More