GROWING PLANTS IN SPACE KEY FOR FUTURE MISSIONS

THE Indian Space Research Organisation opened the new year by successfully germinating seeds in space.

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It is the first time that the space agency achieved such a feat, using cowpea seeds. It did this on Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre's Compact Research module for orbital Plant Studies or CROPS experiment, a part of the PS4-Orbital Experiment Module platform on the space docking mission that was launched on December 30. With India planning to have its own space station by 2035, plants would be crucial for long, self-sustained stays in space. There will also be future planetary explorations where the astronauts will need sustained nutrition on longer travels.