WENATCHEE, WA – The current lineup of astronauts aboard the International Space Station have a new treat in the form of CMI’s KIKU® brand apples. The company announced that a package of its fruit left Earth’s soil on Friday, in its first partnership with NASA.

“The growers of KIKU® apples were delighted to provide KIKU® to the crew of the Space Station,” said Bob Mast, President of CMI, in a press release. “With sweetness levels that are out of this world, it is only fitting that KIKU® apples would reach for the stars.”

The apples left from Cape Canaveral in an unmanned mission, aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule. After the Dragon capsule reached orbit, the company said that the SpaceX rocket successfully landed back on Earth aboard a ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The Falcon 9 landing was the first ocean landing for the team, and a crucial milestone for SpaceX.

Mast added, “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. It is a momentous day in the history of space travel.”

KIKU® apples were delivered to the International Space Station under a Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA, said the company, a partnership that was initiated by the Food System Manager at the Johnson Space Center, Vickie Kloeris.

“We think it’s a perfect fit,” finished 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 tee.”

CMI said that the apples delivered to the astronauts through the mission were all handpicked to supply the space travelers with its best product.

Keep checking back with AndNowUKnow for more astral updates, and big industry announcements.

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