The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has solved the mystery of the missing tomatoes that had intrigued astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The mystery began in 2022, when astronaut Frank Rubio tended to tomato plants using the space station’s eXposed Root On-Orbit Test (XROOTS) System during his record-breaking 371-day stay aboard the ISS, according to the YouTube account NASA Johnson. The two rogue tomatoes have now been recovered nearly a year after Rubio accidentally lost track of them, proving that he did not eat the tomatoes as was previously suspected. The rogue tomatoes were found in a plastic bag, “dehydrated” and “slightly squished” with some discolouration but with “no visible microbial or fungal growth”. The XROOTS system uses hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow plants without soil, which could provide solutions for plant systems needed for future missions, it said. Current plant systems may not scale well in a space environment due to mass, maintenance, and sanitation issues. XROOT’s soil-less techniques could provide suitable solutions for plant systems needed for future space exploration missions. Watch the video below: “Ok. They found the missing tomatoes, but… where were they found, that question remains. So, they didn’t show visible signs of fungal infection, And microscopic infection? Hope not. And last, why are they so small? A lot of unanswered questions, but it is an interesting and fun experiment. Thanks for sharing,” an avid user commented.
