Strange, black object photographed growing at the space station: 'Spudnik-1, an orbiting...'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Strange, black object photographed growing at the space station: 'Spudnik-1, an orbiting...'")
What is the growing on the space station? NASA astronaut explains. Photograph: (NASA/X/Don Pettit)
An egg-like object with tentacles growing out of it has been photographed in the International Space Station. An astronaut shared the photo taken around the end of 2024 and early April. What is it? NASA astronaut explains.
A NASA astronaut has shared a photo of a mysterious-looking object that is growing tentacles on the International Space Station (ISS). The image looks eerie and creepy, and netizens are shocked to see something so strange in space. However, it is a perfectly regular item that we see almost every day in our kitchens. Don Pettit, who took the photo during Expedition 72 that lasted from 23 September 2024 till 18 April 2025, said that it is just a potato. He wrote alongside the photo on X, "Spudnik-1, an orbiting potato on @Space_Station!" He added that he took potatoes with him on Expedition 72 for his space garden. He experimented with them in his off-duty time. The photo also shows Velcro used to affix the potato in the “improvised grow light terrarium.”
Potatoes in space and a nod to The Martian
Pettit stressed that potatoes make for one of the most efficient foods "based on edible nutrition to total plant mass (including roots)." The NASA astronaut pointed to the acclaimed novel and movie "The Martian" in which a stranded astronaut grows potatoes on Mars and survives only on them for 549 sols, or Martian days, which is 39 minutes longer than a day on Earth. "Recognized by Andy Weir in his book/movie "The Martian," potatoes will have a place in future exploration of space. So I thought it good to get started now!" Pettit wrote. Someone asked him how growing potatoes in space was different from growing them on Earth. "The roots would grow in all directions absent gravity, and all plants I have ever grown in space have grown far slower than they would have on Earth," he replied.
NASA has grown several fruits and vegetables in space. "Our team at Kennedy Space Center envisions planting more produce in the future, such as tomatoes and peppers," the space agency wrote. The ISS is set to crash down on Earth by 2030, and the space agency is working to set up a new station at the earliest.
