International Space Station to grow tomatoes, SpaceX will carry the seeds

After the aborted first attempt, SpaceX is carrying a fresh haul of supplies to the International Space Station ISS. The seeds on board the mission include an assortment of dwarf tomato seeds apart from a range of science experiments. There will also be treats for the astronauts on the space station. Some of these are ice cream and Thanksgiving fare like spicy green beans, cranberry apple desserts, pumpkin pie and candy corn. The broad plan is to install the solar arrays outside the floating laboratory during spacewalks. The tentative dates are November 29 and December 3 and they will give the space station a power boost. SpaceX has been working hand in hand with NASA and has undertaken more than two dozen resupply missions to the ISS over the past decade. It was part of a multibillion-dollar deal with NASA. This year happens to be the busiest year to date for SpaceX, with more than 50 operations so far. These include two astronaut missions. SpaceX launches tomato seeds, other supplies to International Space StationThere are a number of health-related items on board. One of these is the Moon Microscope Kit. It is a portable handheld microscope for astronauts to collect and send images of blood samples to flight surgeons on the ground for diagnostics and treatment.

Incidentally, nutrients are a key component for maintaining good health in space. However, the astronauts seldom get fresh items and have to survive with prepackaged meals during their six-month stays in low-Earth orbit. Astronauts have already grown and tasted different types of vegetables like lettuce, radishes and chiles on the International Space Station. Now, they could add some dwarf tomatoes — specifically, Red Robin tomatoes — to their list of space-grown salad ingredients. This experiment is part of an effort to provide continuous fresh food production facilities in space. The tomatoes are expected to be ready for their first taste test in the spring. Half of each tomato harvest will be frozen and returned to Earth for analysis.

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Rain cannot dampen the spirit of Puja shoppers 2022

Thousands of Puja shoppers braved the rains and swarmed malls and markets. Even people from nearby districts travelled to Kolkata to pick up the best on offer and make bargains. The shops in the Esplanade area were overflowing with shoppers. People traveled for hours by bus to arrive at their destination in the Lindsay Street and New Market area. Carts that sold ice creams and cold beverages did brisk business. Shoppers had to avoid the sea of umbrellas. In Gariahat area there were stalls that sold trinkets were busy as were the sari stores. The parking lot of South City Mall was packed and many cars had to park in other locations. Brisk business in malls and markets ahead of Durga Puja. Business was brisk and sellers were happy at the jump in sales.

Many of the shoppers made a beeline for the food courts, where available, to taste the exotic dishes. There was a wide variety of Indian and foreign dishes on offer. The general manager of one of the malls revealed that ethnic wear, denim and jewelry were the top picks. Many shoppers look for bargains in the end of season sale. Incidentally, food was part of the agenda of many shoppers. Eateries were busy throughout the day.

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Business mood in Durga Puja markets in malls and footpaths

This year, Durga Puja starts on October 1 and the markets are in business mood. Apart from malls, the shops in New Market, Gariahat and other footpaths are gearing up to woo the customers. While the shopping malls display pomp and show apart from glamor, the roadside shops have an advantage of their own. Their overheads are less in comparison to malls. Hence, they can offer products at much lesser prices and customers can even bargain to get the items at cheaper rates. This makes for fair competition and there is all round satisfaction. The common people are the patrons and they have to weigh their wants with their finances. While the rich can afford to gorge on pizzas and ice creams in air-conditioned comfort between shopping, the not-so-fortunate ones have to make do with jhal muri and tele bhaja.

There are the two famous malls in south Kolkata. One is the South City Mall on Prince Anwar Shah Road, the other is the Acropolis Mall near Kasba. This year, the Covid threat perception is considerably low. As a result, businesses expect good returns. The rush has led to traffic jams in and around these malls. Obviously, the festive season has arrived and footfalls are on the rise. These are in thousands. The authorities of the malls confirm this. Puja early shoppers crowd Kolkata malls, markets to trigger revival hopes. This festival brings out the best in not only fashion but also in the general outlook of the people. Some of them work out plans to move away from the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy the holidays among nature.

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