Uma, Thilathara seeds' space sojourn: Researchers on cloud nine

The seeds were carried to the ISS to understand what space does to hybrid seed varieties

- BIJU E PAUL @Alappuzha

"I'm gonna have to science the s**t out of this," says Mark Watney -- Matt Damon's character in the sci-fi movie The Martian -- after he is accidentally marooned on the red planet and looks to employ his knowledge as a botanist to cultivate potatoes as a food source.

Space research has always captivated humanity, and the challenges that the final frontier poses have driven our search for answers.

The scientists of MS Swaminathan Rice Research Station (MSSRRS), Mankombu, Kuttanad and Onattukara Regional Agriculture Research Station (ORARS) are eagerly awaiting results of the study carried out by astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla in the International Space Station (ISS) on paddy seed 'Uma,' developed by MSSRRS, and sesame seed 'Thilathara,' developed by ORARS.