NASA astronaut's horrifying ISS picture of tentacled object has an explanation and it might not be what you'd think

A NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) shared a fear-inducing image of a dark-colored sprouting object, but its purpose could prove vital for future space exploration. 

Astronaut Don Pettit has blasted off to the ISS several times, racking up 590 days in orbit throughout his career. 

Most recently, he was launched to the ISS in September 2024 for Expedition 71/71, and he spent his time there carrying out some unique experiments. 

Pettit recently caused a bit of a stir when he shared a photo of one such experiment, with some social media users left feeling uneasy after spotting the odd-looking object.

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The creepy-looking object was snapped on board the ISS, and was compared to alien

The dark-colored lumpy object had a few sprouts poking out of it and was enough to give some of Pettit’s social media followers the heebie jeebies. 

“Bro I genuinely thought this was some kind of egg hatching,” one wrote. 

“That’s an alien egg,” another person joked. 

While someone else suggested the astronaut ‘kill it with fire’. 

Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary, because we can’t imagine an open flame onboard the ISS would end well.

Sharing the image, Pettit explained that the object, or Spudnik-1, as he called it, was actually just a humble potato. 

Pettit brought potatoes to the ISS for his ‘space garden’, which he took care of in his free time. 

He even created an improvised grow light terrarium for the purple potato. 

“Potatoes are one of the most efficient plants based on edible nutrition to total plant mass (including roots),” he explained. 

To boldly grow where no plant has grown before

While growing spuds in space is a fun hobby for keen horticulturist Pettit, it actually plays an important role in space exploration and future colonization plans. 

NASA has been growing plants in space for decades, and the ISS has played an important role. 

By the year 2010, NASA had carried out 20 plant growth experiments. 

“To go farther and stay longer in space, crew will need sustainable sources of food,” NASA said. 

“Crops can provide fresh food, benefit astronaut mental well-being, and improve space habitats.”

NASA plant biologist Doctor Natasha Haveman said that growing plants helps the space agency to fulfil its goal of creating a ‘sustainable environment for human presence in space’. 

It also allows NASA scientists to investigate how plants adapt to new environments in space and develop processes and technologies to grow and cultivate plants in extreme and harsh conditions. 

So, while you might look at Pettit’s photos and feel a bit creeped out, just know that the weird-looking potato is helping to shape the future of space exploration.