# ISS astronauts find tomato that was lost in space for 8 months **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 12, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492 "2023-12-12T17:50:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/1 "2023-12-12T17:50:55Z")
And astronaut Frank Rubio has been exonerated after being accused of eating it. > **[ISS astronauts find tomato that was lost in space for 8 months (video)](https://www.space.com/international-space-station-lost-tomato-frank-rubio-found)** > > 'Our good friend Frank Rubio ... has been blamed for quite a while for eating the tomato, but we can exonerate him.' ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/2 "2023-12-12T18:25:48Z")
On the Skylab missions, the astronauts generally found “lost” items stuck to the air filters, eventually. You’d think the tomato would have shown up there relatively soon. “You say “tomato”, I say “dessicated biology experiment”” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/3 "2023-12-12T18:28:41Z")
After 8 months, if it had been on Earth, I’d expect it to have been molded away to nothing. I guess the ISS just might be well-enough isolated from mold spores? ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/4 "2023-12-12T18:30:50Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I guess the ISS just might be well-enough isolated from mold spores? I assume it turned into the first ever space-dried tomato. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/5 "2023-12-12T18:32:55Z")
Just don’t bring it back to earth! Who knows what terrors you might unleash from beyond the stars?! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/6 "2023-12-12T18:51:45Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Just don’t bring it back to earth! Who knows what terrors you might unleash from beyond the stars?! - The Caprese Strain. Turns your blood into olive oil. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/7 "2023-12-12T19:00:00Z")
Everything about this story is wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/8 "2023-12-12T19:01:25Z")
[And so it begins.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_of_the_Killer_Tomatoes) ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/9 "2023-12-12T19:12:35Z")
The big question is … _ **Why have we not heard about this before ?!** _ I would’ve thought that a lost space tomato would be headline news. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/10 "2023-12-12T19:29:40Z")
Frank may not be off the hook just yet. Probably some sort of investigation is warranted. Has it been conclusively established that this is indeed the same purloined pome in question? He could be operating a clandestine garden for all we know. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/11 "2023-12-12T19:30:16Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > He could be operating a clandestine garden for all we know. Next up-space weed! ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/12 "2023-12-12T19:37:44Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > Frank may not be off the hook just yet. Probably some sort of investigation is warranted. There’s an experienced investigator into this type of crime… [![](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cain_7122.jpg) ](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cain_7122.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/13 "2023-12-13T03:14:27Z")
Why is Mickey Mouse growing out of the back of his head? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/14 "2023-12-13T03:24:02Z")
Now that made me laugh a little too much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/15 "2023-12-13T03:52:30Z")
8 month old tomato? Liz Truss is envious! (“I wish I’d had an eight-month old tomatoe! Luxury!”) ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/16 "2023-12-13T04:40:09Z")
I’m pretty sure this is how Attack of the Killer Tomatoes started. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/17 "2023-12-13T04:42:22Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Why is Mickey Mouse growing out of the back of his head? I thought Bogie had been updated with a man-bun. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/18 "2023-12-13T04:46:02Z")
“Listen, pal, if I had a man bun, this hat would never fit.” More seriously, if they can grow tomatoes on the ISS, well, those are a lot tastier than space food sticks. Are those even made any more? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/19 "2023-12-13T15:33:59Z")
Indubitably, Dr. Smith would say [this is the Lost In Space tomato.](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=590380016&q=lost+in+space+green+lady&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwigqarR3YyDAxUVkGoFHU6dASsQ0pQJegQIDxAB&biw=1441&bih=680&dpr=0.75) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2023, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492/20 "2023-12-14T05:43:12Z")
Don’t forget this one! > **[The Tomato That Ate Cleveland (1976) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11585780/fullcredits)** > > The Tomato That Ate Cleveland (1976) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iss-astronauts-find-tomato-that-was-lost-in-space-for-8-months/994492.md?page=2)