Spice in space: NASA group on track to grow New Mexico chile plant
ESPANOLA, N.M. — It’ll be one giant leap for chilekind.
A hybrid version of a New Mexico chile plant has been selected to be grown in space as part of a NASA experiment.
The chile is tentatively scheduled to be launched to the International Space Station for testing in March 2020, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
A NASA group testing how to produce food bedo yond the Earth’s atmosphere and the chile plant was created with input from Jacob Torres — a New Mexico native and NASA researcher.
Torres said the point of sending the chiles into space is to demonstrate how NASA’s Advanced Plant Habitat — which recreates environmental needs for plant growth like CO2, humidity and lighting — works not only for leafy greens, but for fruiting crops, as well.
“Which means that if we go on a deep space mission, or we do go to the moon or a mission to Mars, we will have to figure out a way to supplement our diets,” he said.
The “Espanola Improved” chile plant is a cross between a northern New Mexico seed and the popular Sandia seed from the Hatch Valley. It will be the first fruiting plant that the U.S. will grow aboard the Space Station.
In addition to greens previously grown by NASA’s astronauts, a zinnia bloomed in space in 2016.
Matthew W. Romeyn, NASA’s lead scientist on the pepper project, said in an emailed statement that the group chose the EspanolaSandia hybrid because of the shorter growth cycle, as well as its ability to thrive within the smaller confines of the Advanced Plant Habitat. The growth period may be longer in space.
Chiles could even boost morale, Torres said, when astronauts have something tasty and different from the pre-packaged meals.