Our Correspondent, New Delhi
Photo: ISRO
India’s space agency today said it has successfully germinated cowpea seeds in microgravity conditions in a craft sent to space.
The cowpea seeds were sent on the PS-4 Orbital Experiment Module (POEM-4) mission on December 30 and have germinated in the near zero-gravity conditions in just four days and enclosed the surroundings of space.
The experiment demonstrated progress in understanding how plants grow in space conditions, the Indian Space Research Organisation tweeted.
“Life sprouts in space! VSSC’s CROPS (Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies) experiment onboard PSLV-C60 POEM-4 successfully sprouted cowpea seeds in 4 days. Leaves expected soon,” said #ISRO #BiologyInSpace.
ISRO Chairman S Somnath told NDTV that the cowpea germination is a maiden attempt to try and understand how life works in space.
The POEM module is carrying two other live biology experiments that will try to grow spinach cells and gut bacteria.
The research involved eight cowpea seeds placed in a regulated closed-box setting with precise temperature control, establishing essential groundwork for agricultural studies beyond the earth, ISRO said.
The system includes high-definition cameras, sensors for oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, humidity detectors, temperature monitors and soil moisture measuring devices.
The germination of cowpea seeds offers significant potential for future space expeditions, particularly for extended missions and establishing human settlements on other celestial bodies.
