T

empeh, which has become increasingly popular abroad, may also gain popularity in outer space if an experiment by a group of North Sumatra students succeeds.

Students of Unggul Del high school in Laguboti district, North Sumatra, have sent a new experiment on soybean fermentation in microgravity to the International Space Station (ISS), following their success in growing yeast in the space station last year.

It is the first attempt to make tempeh in outer space, with soybeans and yeast, the two main ingredients in soybean fermentation, being used in the experiment.

Under the Unggul Del ISS Project 2, a group of 10 students developed last October a robotic microlab containing the experiment before it was sent to the space station, with the help of NASA and California-based aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, in Florida on June 4.

The microlab has the ability to operate on its own and send readable reports in the form of digital images and data to earth three times a week. The data will be used by the students to analyze the tempeh-making process in a project that will run for 30 days at the ISS.

The students chose soybeans for the research as it was a traditional food originating from Indonesia that was also rich in calcium, iron, vitamin B and fiber, said Unggul Del’s ISS Project 2 team leader, Matthew Addrian.

Tempeh is easy to digest and contains antibiotics believed to be able to heal infections and prevent degenerative diseases.

“Due to its merits, tempeh is expected to become an alternative food for future astronauts or space explorers,” Matthew, the 10th grade student, told reporters in a press conference at the school complex on Friday.

School principal Arini Desianti Parawi said the main objective of the scientific experiment was to research the influence of microgravitation on the fermentation process of the soybean with the help of yeast, which would yield tempeh.

The experiment began after the school’s first ISS project focusing on growing yeast in space concluded in June 2016, with the result that yeast fermentation could occur in microgravity.

The project is a part of a program organized by the California-based Valley Christian High School-AMSE Institute and NanoRacks, a Texas-based private company that focuses on commercial utilization of space, providing opportunities for students worldwide to take part in various international astronomical research projects.

“This is the sixth year the ISS project has been conducted. Valley Christian High School offers students from all over the world the opportunity to participate in the project to inspire young people,” said Arini.

The 10 students, along with their two mentors, underwent tight selection to have their research sent to outer space to avoid technical problems that might also disrupt the activity of the ISS, said Eka Trisno Samosir, one of the two mentors overseeing the team.

“This is an extraordinary experience for us. We are proud to be able to represent Indonesia with this experiment,” Eka said.