Researchers sent this staple West African food into space. Here's why

Egusi melon seeds are a staple in many West African cuisines – ground and cooked into protein-rich soups and stews. But in 2025, they encountered a whole other sort of dish…on a satellite. Temidayo Oniosun, Managing Director of Space in Africa, was the driving force behind an initiative that saw egusi seeds placed aboard a SpaceX capsule with heritage crops from Egypt, Armenia and Pakistan. The reason was twofold, he says: to spark interest in space launches across #Africa, and to see if the seeds were viable as future astronaut food. Here, he chats about the #mission and about Africa’s burgeoning space economy. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Space Community brings industry experts together to explore the economic potential and responsible use of space technologies.