Astronauts at the International Space Station added a new item to their dine-in menu last weekend after whipping up a batch of tacos using the first-ever chile peppers grown in space.
NASA astronaut Megan McArthur shared photos on Twitter of what she called her "best space tacos yet," consisting of fajita beef, rehydrated tomatoes and artichokes, and Hatch chile, which has been growing at the ISS since July. She said the crew sampled the red and green chile before getting creative with their new ingredients in the kitchen.
Friday Feasting! After the harvest, we got to taste red and green chile. Then we filled out surveys (got to have the data! 😁). Finally, I made my best space tacos yet: fajita beef, rehydrated tomatoes & artichokes, and HATCH CHILE! https://t.co/pzvS5A6z5u pic.twitter.com/fJ8yLZuhZS
— Megan McArthur (@Astro_Megan) October 29, 2021
NASA's ISS Research account also celebrated the occasion, noting that the crew had conducted "one of the most challenging station plant experiments to date." As part of the Plant Habitat-04 investigation, a team of scientists planted seeds of Hatch chiles — a type of pepper found in New Mexico's Hatch Valley — and observed their growth over time.
The crew aboard the ISS were able to taste the fruits of their labor on Friday, and collected data about the red and green chiles. "The investigation involved microbial analysis to improve understanding of plant-microbe interactions in space and the crew's assessment of flavor, texture, and nutrition of the first peppers grown in space," NASA said in a statement.
While the experiment tempted the tastebuds and spiced things up at the Space Station, NASA hopes astronauts will be able to expand the number of crops they can grow in space during future missions. According to CNN, the chile trials are ongoing, with Crew-3 astronauts reportedly launching to the ISS this week ahead of a second harvest later in the month.
Some of the chiles will be sent back to Earth for analysis, much like the red romaine lettuce and various other veggies that astronauts have cultivated in space. Assuming the cargo isn't lost on its journey back to Earth, the chile peppers will likely end up being offered as a nutritious alternative to the meal replacement bars that NASA once developed for missions.
Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.