NASA Found Tomatoes Lost In Space After 8 Months – And This Is What It Found

In a cosmic twist, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio found himself in a peculiar predicament when tomatoes he harvested aboard the International Space Station (ISS) went missing, leading to a lighthearted blame game. Now, with the tomatoes recovered, NASA unveils the intriguing saga of floating produce in zero gravity.

The saga begins with Rubio’s tomatoes, crucial elements of the exposed Root On-Orbit Test System (XROOTS) experiment in 2022, vanishing mysteriously. Rubio, who spent a record 371 consecutive days in space, became the prime suspect until fellow astronauts stumbled upon the elusive tomatoes months later.

In a recent revelation, NASA shared a photo of the recovered tomatoes, emphasizing that, contrary to expectations, there were not one but two tomatoes in question. The aged produce was dehydrated and slightly squished in a plastic bag, displaying minimal wear. NASA noted, “Other than some discoloration, it had no visible microbial or fungal growth.”

Initially blamed for the missing tomatoes, Rubio had conducted the XROOTS experiment to explore hydroponic and aeroponic techniques for plant growth in space. Addressing the whimsical scandal upon his return to Earth, Rubio explained his extensive search efforts, stating, “I wanted to find it mostly so I could prove, ‘Ok, I did not eat this tomato.'”

Contrary to Rubio’s belief that the tomatoes were part of the VEG-05 experiment 2023, NASA clarified that they were inadvertently lost during the XROOTS experiment 2022. These tomatoes, older than initially estimated, survived nearly a year in a bag before being rediscovered.

During a live-streamed event celebrating the ISS’s 25th anniversary, Rubio’s fellow crew members playfully exonerated him. Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli shared a laugh, stating, “Our good friend Frank Rubio, who headed home, has been blamed for quite a while for eating the tomato. But we can forgive him: we found the tomatoes.”

While the rogue tomatoes from the XROOTS experiment were discarded, their recovery sheds light on the challenges and surprises of space agriculture. Rubio, also part of the VEG-05 study, contributed to experiments aiming to enhance fresh-food production systems in space, offering insights into plant growth in the unique environment of the ISS.

The tomato saga adds a flavorful chapter to space exploration’s annals, showcasing produce’s resilience in the cosmic expanse and the humor that accompanies life’s challenges beyond our planet.