‘World’s smelliest fruit’ about to orbit space
When it comes to pure, unadulterated aroma, one fruit rules them all — and it’s about to be launched into orbit.
According to Coconuts Bangkok, a Thailand research agency is planning to send a durian to space.
The July launch is part of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)’s Thai Food to Space project, which will evaluate the suitability of foods for future space exploration.
The baked durian will make its trip “via a rocket launched by an unnamed U.S. rocket company.”
And will be accompanied by riceberry, a long-grain, deep-purple rice variety that has been embraced by the health-conscious in Thailand, according to the Thai Trade Centre in Vancouver.
“Our main goal is to eventually bring Thai food up to space to be consumed by astronauts. We chose durian, which is the king of fruits in Thailand, ” a GISTDA spokesperson told the BBC.
“We’d like to send (it) to the atmosphere at the same level that astronauts live and bring them back to analyze their texture for any changes,
A favourite throughout Southeast Asia, the durian is also commonly referred to as “the world’s smelliest fruit.”
In April, its pungent odour led to the evacuation of an Australian university, and it is famously prohibited on Singapore public transit.