The multinational space station, the International Space Station (ISS), currently orbits the Earth at an altitude of 400 km at high speed.

Astronauts aboard conduct various experiments that cannot be experienced on Earth.

Today's protagonist is Donald Pettit, the current oldest astronaut at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Recently, a photo he released has become a major topic of interest.

Photo of potatoes taken on the International Space Station. Photo by Don Pettit, Instagram capture

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A potato grown on the International Space Station sparked a stir online, as it resembled the egg of an extraterrestrial lifeform. This unusual shape was caused by the microgravity environment of space, which affects the growth of plants.

Recently, the U.S. media outlet 'New York Post' reported that a photo of an oval-shaped object taken on the International Space Station became a hot topic among netizens. The photo shows a grayish, rounded object with purple tentacle-like structures radiating outward from its surface. Many netizens were reminded of the alien hatching scenes from the American science fiction movie "Alien," leaving comments such as "Burn it immediately," and reacting strongly to the image.

Instagram capture of Don Pettit.

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So what exactly was this object? According to the media, it was not an alien egg, but rather a potato grown on the space station. The photo was recently posted on the personal Instagram account of astronaut Don Pettit, who had worked on the space station in the past.

Pettit explained, "I once grew potatoes as a personal gardening activity on the space station," adding that "in a zero-gravity environment, plant roots spread in all directions."

The movie 'The Martian' depicts an astronaut stranded alone on Mars who grows potatoes as food to survive. Photo by 20th Century Fox Korea

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Even with such an unusual appearance, "space potatoes" are a highly valuable food source. Pettit stated, "Potatoes are an extremely efficient crop, as the ratio of edible nutrients to the total plant mass is very high," and noted, "As seen in the movie 'The Martian,' potatoes will play a crucial role in future space exploration."

Although the potato incident was a simple happening, according to the media, experiments with space-grown food are at the core of future space development. If astronauts can produce their own food in space, they will be able to stay in orbit for much longer periods of time.

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Currently, astronauts are conducting experiments growing lettuce, cabbage, and mustard on the space station. The European Space Agency (ESA) is also collaborating with a Finnish startup to develop space food by recycling urine.