Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) announced that they found a stray tomato that had been grown in space after being missing for eight months. The small tomato, which measures only 2.5 cm in diameter, was part of the final harvest of the Veg-05 experiment, designed to explore the effects of space travel on fruit crop growth. The experiment was not limited to tomatoes; it successfully grew various types, including lettuce, Chinese cabbage, red Russian kale, and zinnia flowers, according to NASA.
After the harvest on March 29, each crew member received a sample of the crop in a plastic bag and was instructed not to eat the fruit due to potential fungal contamination concerns. However, when American astronaut Frank Rubio accidentally let his tomato float away, his colleagues accused him for months of eating it. Rubio, who was part of the Veg-05 agricultural experiment, stated that his tomato floated away before he could take a bite, which was met with skepticism by the rest of the crew, who jokingly accused him of consuming it.
During a live broadcast last Wednesday celebrating the 25th anniversary of the ISS, NASA astronaut Yasmeen Mqablly mentioned that Frank Rubio, who has already returned home, had long been accused of eating the tomato. "But we can now exonerate him; we have found the tomato." The astronaut did not specify where the small tomato was found, whether inside the space station or in what condition it was recovered.
