'Alien life' discovered in space?

A photo taken by NASA astronaut Don Pettit on the International Space Station (ISS) has become a hot topic online. This is because a controversy over extraterrestrial life arose among social media users who saw this photo of a purple-colored egg-shaped object with what looked like tentacles extending out in all directions.

Some Instagram users commented, “Destroy it now and never return to Earth!” and Reddit even responded, “I’ve seen this movie before. That’s an alien egg.”

Identity is ‘Spudnik-1’

However, the reality of this 'alien creature' was unexpectedly an ordinary potato. Pettit named this potato 'Spudnik-1'. It is a witty name that combines Russia's first artificial satellite, 'Sputnik', and the English slang word for potato, 'spud'.

What looked like tentacles were sprouts sprouting from a potato. Pettit explained through Reddit that in a zero gravity environment, sprouts do not grow in one direction but spread out in all directions. The gray part on the side of the potato was a piece of Velcro to secure it to the instant grow light terrarium.

Space exploration and the future of food

Pettit, a veteran astronaut who has been traveling in space for nearly 25 years, said he has been growing potatoes in this way during his off-hours. He explained, “Potato is one of the crops with the highest edible nutrient efficiency relative to the total mass of the plant, including roots.”

He added, "As acknowledged in Andy Weir's novel and the movie 'The Martian,' potatoes will play an important role in future space exploration," adding, "So I thought it would be a good idea to start now."

Pettit is also famous for his extensive space photography portfolio, including photos of the October 2024 Aurora phenomenon and several comets. This 'alien potato' uproar has become an episode that shows how everyday life in space can lead to interesting misunderstandings.