Peruvian Potatoes in Space

Peru made international headlines this week when Russian astronauts announced they have agreed to carry out an experiment to see if Peruvian potatoes can be grown in space. The astronauts will take the potatoes with them on as they travel to the International Space Station in preparation for a future trip to Mars. The Mars expedition will take approximately three years. With a trip that long, the astronauts will need a hearty diet. Therefore, they have decided to test Peruvian potatoes, to determine if they can be grown in a zero gravity environment. Potatoes were first cultivated in the Andes, and over 2,000 varieties are found in Peru today. Even if potatoes cannot survive at the International Space Station, they can be dehydrated with a technique that is currently used in the Andes, and rehydrated later by the astronauts. Peruvian potatoes are already a food staple around the world – hopefully they will make their mark on the galaxy now!