By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
The first ever tomatoes grown in space happened just recently according to reports from NASA staff and astronauts.
While growing tomatoes may not seem like a big deal for those of us who have never traveled to outer space, it will be of great importance as humans continue to explore options for living on other planets.
NASA just awarded ICON, a company in Austin, a $57.2 million contract to research and develop construction technologies for building on the moon. They will be using materials found on Mars and the moon.
NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgreen and Jessica Watkins along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, are reported as the first to be successful in growing tomatoes in space.
The astronauts’ role in space was to conduct scientific research, and growing tomatoes was part of it. Along with growing tomatoes they were doing research on induced changes in the human immune system similar to aging. They also worked with a concrete alternative made with a material found in lunar and Martian dust.
Included in their research was working with water and advanced recycling efforts. While in space they recycled the water they used for their own reuse while orbiting the earth. “We can’t take all the water we need with us into the space station, so we have to be able to recycle our water,” shared Cristoforetti.
Though they were the ones who grew the tomatoes, they were not able to enjoy consuming their delightful triumph. The team that followed them on the International Space Station had the pleasure of enjoying the fruits of their labor.
While serving as astronauts for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission, they were launched into space on a Falcon 9 rocket on April 27. They splashed down outside of Jacksonville, Florida on October 14.
In space they attached to the International Space Station and spent 170 days aboard the space station. While in space, they orbited the earth 2,720 times.
The flight crew of Expedition 67 shared highlights of their trip with the public at Houston’s NASA Space Center. The astronauts were honored with a traditional bouquet of roses, and each was awarded a medal. The ground crew were also awarded medals.
This was Hines’ and Watkins’ first space travel as astronauts. Watkins made history by becoming the first Black woman to serve on a long duration space station mission.
Watkins expressed her awe as a geologist to look down on earth and see the marvels of our planet. Meanwhile, Hines enjoyed photographing outer space and expressed frustration about not being able to have crisp nacho chips or a glass of Coca-Cola with ice while in space.
Cristoforetti, who is from Italy, stepped out of the station for a space walk expedition.
She was a bit apprehensive regarding the natural disorientation that happens to all space walkers, but she stayed focused on her tasks. She enjoyed ten extra minutes of being outside the ship and reveled in the beauty and immensity of outer space.
Lindgreen had dreamed of being an astronaut since he was a child, but along the way he found other passions such as becoming an MD. His ties to Galveston County include a master’s degree from UTMB in Public Health.
When asked what they would tell young people who aspire to be an astronaut, each astronaut emphasized the importance of people living and doing what they are passionate about as a goal, such as Watkins, who has a PHD in geology and Hines who was an Air Force pilot.
They each also expressed profound gratitude to have been able to travel in space as it had been a dream, they were able to realize.
The public debriefings are open to everyone at no cost, but there is limited space in the auditorium. The next debriefing will be in March 2023.
