A Nasa astronaut accused of eating one of the very first tomatoes harvested in space has finally been ‘vindicated’.
Frank Rubio, 48, broke the record for the longest single duration spaceflight for in the US, with a mission duration of 371 days, in a historic moment.
It was his first spaceflight – but he returned to Earth in September with a question mark on his CV – did he eat the piece of fruit grown from seed in microgravity in secret?
He had been the target of joking accusations for some eight months, but the case of the missing tomato – a title suitable for a Hercule Poirot adventure – is over.
Mr Rubio can finally breathe a sigh of relief after his colleagues cleared him of the allegations.
Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli said during a livestream event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the International Space Station (ISS) that the remains of the tiny tomato had been found eight months after being misplaced by Mr Rubio.
‘Our good friend Frank Rubio, who headed home [already], has been blamed for quite a while for eating the tomato. But we can exonerate him. We found the tomato,’ she said.
His crew members could not contain their laughter as they revealed that the case is finally closed.
Follow Metro on WhatsApp to be the first to get all the latest news
Want to be the first to hear the world’s top stories? Metro.co.uk is now on WhatsApp sending vital updates and top trending stories straight to your phone.
Join the Metro WhatsApp community now for breaking news, juicy showbiz stories and must-watch videos from across our website.
Simply click on this link and select ‘Join Chat’. Don’t forget to turn on notifications so you’ll always be the first to hear the latest!
They did not reveal where the tomato was found or what its condition was, but Mr Rubio had earlier predicted it would be in a state of advanced decay due to the humidity aboard the station.
Due to the microgravity on the ship unrestrained items often float away without control.
This is what the astronaut, who is also a US Army lieutenant colonel and a pilot for helicopters, suspected happened to the tomato.
‘I spent so many hours looking for that thing,’ he said during a September ISS live stream.
‘I am sure the desiccated tomato will show up at some point and vindicate me, years in the future.’
Get your need-to-know
latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
