‘Kiku’ Apples Are Out Of This World — Literally
April 13, 2016 
‘Kiku’ apple growers say their variety has other-worldly sweetness, but now they can boast their variety is truly out of this world. With a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, hand-picked ‘Kiku’ apples were recently sent on an unmanned SpaceX cargo flight for astronauts on the International Space Station.
“The growers of ‘Kiku’ apples were delighted to provide ‘Kiku’ to the crew of the space station,” says Bob Mast, President of CMI. “With sweetness levels that are out of this world, it is only fitting that ‘Kiku’ apples would reach for the stars.”
Mast says Vickie Kloeris, the food service manager at the Johnson Space Center, specifically sought out ‘Kiku’ apples for the resupply mission.
“We think it’s a perfect fit,” says Mast. “NASA wants to work directly with growers to secure the freshest, sweetest fruit imaginable for the space crew and ‘Kiku’ apples fit that description to a T.”
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule blasted off April 8 from Cape Canaveral, FL. The Dragon reached orbit and SpaceX successfully landed the Falcon 9’s first stage on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean — a crucial milestone for SpaceX, as it shows the company can land its rockets both on solid ground and ocean vessels. The flight was conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.
“We are incredibly proud to have partnered with the flight team on this mission, and congratulate SpaceX for their successful landing of the Falcon 9 today,” Mast says. “It is a momentous day in the history of space travel.”
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