The humble chickpea could hardly be considered out of this world but lately it’s been playing its part in space exploration as a pioneer in supporting human life on other planets.
Space agency NASA has grown a succession of edible and flowering plants on the International Space Station (ISS). Early crops included leafy lettuce and zinnia.
When these proved successful, the ISS astronauts were challenged to grow a fruiting plant. That crop was chilli, which fruited well in the artificial growing conditions on board and resulted in