Lost Tomatoes From Outer Space

LOST TOMATOES FROM OUTER SPACE

In 2022 as part of the "eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System" or XROOTS experiment, NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio harvested two small tomatoes in March 2023. He placed them in a plastic zip-lock type bag but they floated away and were thought to be lost. In December, 2023 with Rubio having returned to Earth after his one year mission,  his fellow crew-mates discovered the bag which due to the 17% humidity aboard the ISS were in surprisingly good condition.

"Despite being nearly a year after the initial disappearance of the tomatoes, the fruit was found in a plastic bag dehydrated and slightly squished," NASA officials wrote in an update Thursday (Dec. 14), without disclosing the exact find location. "Other than some discoloration, it had no visible microbial or fungal growth."

The find was a light-hearted moment in a serious endeavor that called for a special patch. In it I depict Rubio wearing a "Turtle" polo shirt (a nod to his astronaut class nickname), distracted as the two tomatoes float away behind him.

The title" LOST TOMATOES FROM OUTER SPACE"  is inspired by the cheesy horror movies of my youth.......Tim Gagnon