Melon seeds, popularly known as ‘egusi’ in Nigeria, have
recorded a historic feat— making a trip to space as part of a global research
mission on adaptability.
The initiative was bred by Temidayo Oniosun, founder and
managing director of Space in Africa, in collaboration with The Karman Project
and Jaguar Space LLC.
In a post on Thursday, Oniosun said the mission will study
how egusi behaves in microgravity and what role it can play in the future of
food for space exploration.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 was set to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the International Space Station (ISS) that same day, but was delayed until Friday due to weather.
On Friday evening in local time (11:43 AM EDT), the rocket
carrying the Oyo state-sourced egusi seeds launched into space as part of a
multinational agricultural payload aboard NASA’s Crew‑11 mission.
This is the first time seeds from Nigeria, and any agricultural
crop from West Africa, are sent into space.
The study is a vital step toward sustainable food systems
for long-duration missions.
Oniosun said he chose egusi to represent Nigeria on the ISS
because of its cultural significance.
“I think personally, and, you know, this is a personal
experience or personal story. I think that egusi is the most cultural dish in
Nigeria,” he said in an interview with Channels TV.
“You know, everybody eats egusi. The Yorubas lay claim to
egusi that it originated from them. Even the Igbos also, they do the same.
“They say, ‘Oh, you know, egusi is from Igbo land. So, a lot
of people lay claim to its origin, and I don’t think there is a better dish
that says, ‘See, I’m Nigerian,’ than egusi. Even people in the diaspora can
connect to this.
“And it has also travelled way beyond Nigeria. If you go
across West Africa, you know, people are eating egusi.”
Highly versatile, egusi can be soaked, fermented, and
sautéed as a protein-rich meat alternative or in widely consumed soups.
Studying how egusi responds to conditions on the ISS could
lead to innovations in seed preservation, crop resilience, and food production
systems both in space and on earth.
Egusi’s nutrient-rich composition, as well as its ability to thrive in poor soils and droughts, already makes it a key candidate for harsh environments.
