{"id":547892,"date":"2026-03-27T05:59:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T05:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/547892\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T05:59:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T05:59:31","slug":"nasa-astronaut-shares-a-photo-of-a-bizarre-tentacled-object-growing-on-the-international-space-station-as-disturbed-fans-quip-kill-it-with-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/547892\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA astronaut shares a photo of a bizarre tentacled object growing on the International Space Station – as disturbed fans quip ‘kill it with fire!’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By SHIVALI BEST, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 10:03 EDT, 25 March 2026 | Updated: 16:41 EDT, 25 March 2026 <\/p>\n

A NASA<\/a> astronaut has shared a photo of a bizarre tentacled object growing on the International Space Station<\/a> (ISS).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Don Pettit snapped the photo during Expedition 72, which took place from 23 September 2024 until 18 April 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The unusual object almost looks like an egg, with black tentacles erupting from the base.<\/p>\n

Responding to the astronaut on X (formerly Twitter<\/a>), one user said: ‘Kill it with fire!!!’<\/p>\n

Another wrote: ‘Bro I genuinely thought this was some kind of egg hatching.’<\/p>\n

And one joked: ‘Looks like a mimic hatching out of an egg,’ in reference to the 2017 film, Prey.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While the object undeniably looks strange, there’s actually a rather mundane explanation \u2013 it’s a potato.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Spudnik\u20131, an orbiting potato on @Space_Station!’ Mr Pettit explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A NASA astronaut has shared a photo of a bizarre tentacled object growing on the International Space Station (ISS)<\/p>\n

On X, Mr Pettit explained how the potato ended up on the ISS.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘I flew potatoes on Expedition 72 for my space garden, an activity I did in my off\u2013duty time,’ he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘This is an early purple potato, complete with spot of hook Velcro to anchor it in my improvised grow light terrarium.’<\/p>\n

‘Potatoes are one of the most efficient plants based on edible nutrition to total plant mass (including roots).\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Recognized by Andy Weir in his book\/movie “The Martian,” potatoes will have a place in future exploration of space.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘So I thought it good to get started now!’<\/p>\n

In response to the photo, one fan asked Mr Pettit how it compared to growing potatoes on Earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The astronaut responded: ‘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.’<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The unusual object almost looks like an egg, with black tentacles erupting from the base<\/p>\n

\"Don <\/p>\n

Don Pettit snapped the photo during Expedition 72, which took place from 23 September 2024 until 18 April 2025<\/p>\n

His post has garnered huge interest, with almost 100,000 views at the time of writing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘someone needs to figure out a zero\u2013g fryer asap,’ one X user joked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another added: ‘Nice Velcro docking adaptor!’<\/p>\n

And one quipped: ‘I\u00a0hope you brought actual fertiliser this time,’ in reference to The Martian, in which the lead character is forced to grow potatoes in his own waste.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To date, astronauts have grown a huge range of fruits, vegetables, and even flowers on the ISS.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Our team at Kennedy Space Center envisions planting more produce in the future, such as tomatoes and peppers,’ NASA explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Foods like berries, certain beans and other antioxidant\u2013rich foods would have the added benefit of providing some space radiation protection for crew members who eat them.’<\/p>\n

EXPLAINED: THE $100 BILLION INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SITS 250 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH<\/a> <\/p>\n

The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (\u00a380 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.<\/p>\n

It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Crews have come mainly from the US and Russia, but the Japanese space agency JAXA and European space agency ESA have also sent astronauts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for more than 20 years and has been expended with multiple new modules added and upgrades to systems\u00a0<\/p>\n

Research conducted aboard the\u00a0ISS\u00a0often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen.<\/p>\n

ISS studies have investigated\u00a0human research,\u00a0space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology.<\/p>\n

The US space agency, NASA, spends about $3 billion (\u00a32.4 billion) a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners, including Europe, Russia and Japan.<\/p>\n

So far\u00a0244 individuals from 19 countries have visited the station, and among them eight private citizens who spent up to $50 million for their visit.<\/p>\n

There is an ongoing debate about the future of the station beyond 2025, when it is thought some of the original structure will reach ‘end of life’.<\/p>\n

Russia, a major partner in the station, plans to launch its own orbital platform around then, with Axiom Space, a private firm, planning to send its own modules for purely commercial use to the station at the same time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NASA, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are working together to build a space station in orbit around the moon, and Russia and China are working on a similar project, that would also include a base on the surface.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n NASA astronaut shares a photo of a bizarre tentacled object growing on the International Space Station – as disturbed fans quip ‘kill it with fire!’<\/p>\n