Cape Town - Nasa astronaut and US Army Colonel Shane Kimbrough shared a stunning glimpse of what Cape Town looked like while aboard the International Space Station.
Kimbrough, who has been sharing life from Nasa and the International Space Station, is part of the crew conducting various scientific investigations while in space.
Recent investigations included using engineered tissues to study muscle loss, advancing plant growth in space, and running a computer-based education programme.
The orbiting lab provides a platform for long-duration research in microgravity and for learning to live and work in space, experience that supports Artemis, Nasa’s programme to go forward to the Moon and on to Mars.
Kimbrough recently “thinned” chilli pepper plants as part of the Plant Habitat-04 experiment. The experiment involves growing New Mexico hatch green chilli peppers in the advanced plant habitat.
According to Nasa: “Peppers have not been grown in space before because they take a long time to germinate, grow, and develop fruit. Researchers evaluated more than two dozen pepper varieties from around the world before selecting Española improved peppers.
“These peppers have a Scoville heat rating of 2 000-4 000 (less than half that of a jalapeno), but their spiciness could change in microgravity.
“The investigation includes microbial analysis to improve understanding of plant-microbe interactions in space, assessment of flavour and texture, and nutritional analysis. The crew trimmed the plants to enhance growth and took photos during the week.”
I just ‘thinned’ the chile pepper plants yesterday! They have a few more months to grow before we harvest them. Learn more about the Plant Habitat-04 experiment here: https://t.co/fistVNMeXD pic.twitter.com/cVLQqOEEvi
— Shane Kimbrough (@astro_kimbrough) August 11, 2021
The experiment forms part of a number of studies on the space station that has proven that plants can grow in microgravity. Current investigations examine the health benefits of plants, including growing peppers in space for the first time.
These experiments definitely keep the Nasa crew members pre-occupied, but being on the space station also allows them the chance to see Earth in ways that many people never will.
While drifting thousands of miles above Earth, Kimbrough has been sharing what the world and cities look like, and just last week he shared what Cape Town looked like at night.
This is Cape Town at night from space! This breezy bay city is at the very southwestern tip of South Africa and is known for its stunning rugged coastline studded with great beaches that are perfect for surfing. Goodnight Cape Town! pic.twitter.com/4QS4DDgilH
Kimbrough also posted stunning images of what other countries look like from his view in space.
Celebrating Japanese #MountainDay today by sharing a photo of one of the most recognizable mountains from space, Mount St. Helens!🌋
— Shane Kimbrough (@astro_kimbrough) August 9, 2021
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Washington state that is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a Pacific Ring of Fire segment. pic.twitter.com/Mxx9H13OlM
Magical aurora sightings this weekend from @Space_Station. The white dots on the bottom half of the pic are stars – millions of them! Can you pick out the Orion constellation in the 1st photo? #iss #orion #artemis #aurora #nasa pic.twitter.com/HWUCNkJLmE
Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario and the state of New York. 3,160 tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second and the water falls at 32 feet per second over the Falls. pic.twitter.com/yLX8Yx6rNn
— Shane Kimbrough (@astro_kimbrough) August 10, 2021
Hello Las Vegas! The Las Vegas strip is shining brightly from 250 miles up on @Space_Station. Las Vegas is in a basin on the floor of the Mojave Desert and is surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides. It serves as the leading financial, commercial, & cultural center for Nevada. pic.twitter.com/X0aqFEP8BT
— Shane Kimbrough (@astro_kimbrough) August 11, 2021
Hello Dubai! I spy the Emirates Golf Club, a 36-hole golf course that was the first golf course in the region and was built in 1988. The Dubai Airport is in the second photo and is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic. pic.twitter.com/N6Y6nlrAvX