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NASA unveils never-seen-before pic of missing space tomatoes found after 8 months
“Sun-dried tomatoes,” wrote a YouTube user while reacting to a video about the missing space tomatoes that were found after 8 months.
NASA took to YouTube to share an interesting video that shows how two tomatoes look after being missing for months. A few days ago, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) solved a peculiar mystery and announced that they had found the two missing space-grown tomatoes that had been missing for eight months. The announcement left social media in a tizzy, with people wondering how they look after such a long time. NASA took to YouTube to answer that question and wrote that the tomatoes are ’dehydrated and slightly squashed’ but without any ‘visible microbial or fungal growth’.
Also Read: Mysterious case of tomato lost in space solved after 8 months. Here’s what happened
“Two rogue tomatoes have been recovered nearly a year after astronaut Frank Rubio accidentally lost track of them while harvesting for the XROOTS experiment, proving Rubio did not eat the tomatoes as they previously suspected. The rogue fruit was found in a plastic bag dehydrated and slightly squashed with some discoloration but with no visible microbial or fungal growth,” the space agency wrote.
About NASA’s experiment of growing tomatoes in space:
“XROOTS uses hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow plants without soil or other growth media. Current plant systems may not scale well in a space environment due to mass, maintenance, and sanitation issues. XROOT’s soil-less techniques could provide suitable solutions for plant systems needed for future space exploration missions,” NASA shared.
Why is this research important?
“Research aboard the space station is advancing the technology and scientific knowledge needed to successfully grow plants in space and help humans push the boundaries of space travel,” the space agency added.
Take a look at the interesting video which is a montage of some images and clips:
The video was shared a few days ago. Since then, it has collected more than 20,000 views. The post has also accumulated several comments.
What did Instagram users write about this tomato-related video?
“Sounds like it would be interesting to study the tomato to see what happened to it in regards to decay,” wrote a YouTube user. “But seriously, why couldn't they eat? Just eat them all! It's your guys' efforts of planting them,” shared another. “Sun-dried tomatoes,” joked a third.
