Scientists Grow Mangoes in Space

Could space travel be the future of fruit? Researchers in China think sending fruit to space could help them develop better produce, and the first crop of “space mangoes” is about ready to come to fruition.

According to Shanghaiist, researchers sent mangoes to space in November as part of China’s Shenzhou-11 mission, and astronauts subjected the mangoes to different environmental conditions in an attempt to get them to develop advantageous new genetic traits as quickly as possible. Now cells from those mangoes have been developed into buds in a research lab in Hainan, and scientists say the new “space mangoes” will develop higher quality fruit and more of it than normal mangoes that have never been to space. According to lead researcher Peng Longrong, the space mangoes are also supposed to be more resistant to insects. There’s no telling when or if the space mangoes will make it to the market, but when they do, check out some of our best mango recipes for some good things to do with them.