Lost Tomatoes Found on International Space Station

NASA's XROOTS Experiment Yields Unexpected Discovery, Highlighting Progress in Space Agriculture

Two tomatoes that were lost on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2022 were found again, NASA revealed in December 2023. The tomatoes were dehydrated and slightly squished, but showed no visible microbial or fungal growth.
The tomatoes were grown as part of the eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System or XROOTS experiment in 2022, which uses hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow plants without soil or other growth media.
The discovery of the tomatoes was a lighthearted moment for astronaut Frank Rubio, who had since returned home from his unplanned one-year mission.
NASA stated that the real purpose of growing food on the ISS is to practice techniques that could be used during future moon and Mars exploration.
Despite the humorous nature of the tomato discovery, NASA continues to conduct serious research on plant growth in space, with the aim of providing fresh food for astronauts on long-duration missions.