If all goes according to plan, the atmosphere on the International Space Station ISS will get pretty hot in November.
The researchers plan to send the seeds on board Capsicum annuum, the common chili pepper, so to speak. It will be the very first fruit to be grown in space by the ISS astronauts.
“We look for varieties that don't grow too tall. That they have a good growth rate in the controlled environment of the spacecraft,” he says Ray wheeler, a NASA agronomist expert.
“Astronauts often express a desire for foods with more flavor and character. Furthermore, many varieties of chili peppers are very rich in vitamin C, which is important for the space diet."
The Española type was preferred for its ability to grow at high altitudes, with short growth periods and easy pollination.
Plants have quite a bit of trouble growing in microgravity environments, their roots are complex systems and oriented to grow with Earth's gravity as a reference.
Despite the problem, astronauts are already successfully growing plants in stations space: it's been since 1982, with the Russians leading the way in the Salyut 7 station. Since 2003 the Russians have also been consuming "home-made" products, while only since 2015 have we seen the first US-branded "space lettuce".
For fruit (if we exclude the peas also grown by the Russians, which technically would be fruit) the United States has not yet stamped the tag.
It goes without saying that plant growth on board is central to NASA's plans to send human missions to Mars. A travel period between six months and a year also requires the consumption of fresh food: staying on the red planet before returning makes it even crucial.
“We can build all the rockets we want, but it won't work until we have food to eat,” says Jacob torres, a horticultural scientist at NASA.
