Thailand is sending smelly fruit Durian to space for a future project. Southeast Asia's smelliest fruit will be sent to produce Thai food suitable for future space travel. Durian which is known for its stinky smell will be launched via a rocket into space. The project will also test if durian can be consumed in zero-gravity conditions. While one cannot stand its smell, the fruit tastes great and is quite popular in the region.

But its pungent smell has resulted in the fruit being banned at different public places in the country. Some hotels, elevators and aeroplane cabins do not allow durians inside.

Durian will be sent into space in a dried and vacuum-sealed container. The bad odour of the smell will also be much less in these conditions. Durian will make its journey towards space in July when it will be placed in a box. Other food product accompanying Durian to space will be different kinds of Thai rice.

In the past too, astronauts have taken food to space for experimenting purposes. A South Korean astronaut had gone to space in 2008 along with kimchi, a fermented homemade cabbage dish that is widely seen as the national dish.

AFP quoted a spokesperson for Thailand's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) as saying, "In the future we want astronauts to be able to eat Thai food. We want to see whether there are any physical changes after it returns to earth, for example, it might get smaller, or cracked."Durian is also liked and consumed in Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2018 03:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).