A NASA plant experiment growing chile peppers in space broke a record for feeding the most astronauts from a crop grown in space.
The experiment was the longest to ever take place on the International Space Station.
It was the second time chile peppers had been grown in space. The first time the crew used them, they used them in tortillas.
The crop production team at NASA did not expect to achieve the two records, according to Matt Romeyn, chief investigator for the pepper experiment.
Romeyn said that the chile pepper plants were slightly delayed in their harvest. The experiment on the station could be continued for another 17 days.
The pepper seeds at the center of the experiment were grown for four months before they were harvest.
The schedule allowed a larger number of astronauts to have the chance to sample the peppers, as it took us beyond the changing-over from the Crew-2 astronauts to the Crew-3 astronauts.
In May, Romeyn spoke to Insider about how growing vegetables in space helped astronauts.
The peppers were supposed to grow for 120 days. They grew for 137 days, making it the longest experiment in space. In 2016 "zinnia flowers" were grown for 90 days.
Romeyn explained in a press release thatPH-04 pushed the state-of-the-art in space crop production significantly.
The experiment involved growing a Hatch chile pepper in a field, dwarfing it to fit inside the plant habitat, and figuring out how to grow the first generally recognized fruiting crop in space. He said that it was done over a couple years.
Megan McArthur is a NASA Astronaut.
NASA.
The harvest of the chile peppers seems to have made tortillas the most popular meal for astronauts in space. The crew ate fresh peppers as part of a taco night.
taco night was a huge success thanks to the pepper emoji. It would be a good idea. Mark did a great job of handling the prep work.
Romeyn said the peppers were hot. "All indications are that some of the fruit was spicier, which is not surprising, given the unknown effect microgravity could have on the levels of peppers," he said.
The next crop that the team at Kennedy Space Center plans to grow include dwarf tomatoes, as well as testing new types of leafy greens, according to the agency.
Romeyn said that the experiment was a success and that they were on the right path for space crop production.
Future long-duration missions to the moon and eventually Mars will require a viable and sustainable crop production for future missions.
