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Seeds in Space (Seeds)
04.26.13

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Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Imagery

Experiment Overview

This content was provided by Jack J.W.A van Loon, and is maintained in a database by the ISS Program Science Office.

Information provided courtesy of the Erasmus Experiment Archive.
Brief Summary

Information Pending

Principal Investigator(s)

  • Jack J.W.A van Loon, Free University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

    • Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

  • Koen Weterings, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands

    • Developer(s)

    ACTA University, Amsterdam, , Netherlands

    Sponsoring Space Agency

    European Space Agency (ESA)

    Sponsoring Organization

    Information Pending

    Research Benefits

    Information Pending

    ISS Expedition Duration:

    October 2003 - October 2004

    Expeditions Assigned

    8,9

    Previous ISS Missions

    Information Pending

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    Experiment Description

    Research Overview

    Information Pending

    Description

    The main goal of this student experiment is to involve as many students as possible in and effort to show that science is fun through a plant growth experiment called Seeds in Space. The educational / scientific objectives of the experiment are: To demonstrate the influence of gravity on the germination and growth of plants to young people (10 to 15 year olds) and others. By engaging in the comparable on-ground experiment, students will experience that science is fun and that the weightless environment of space opens new possibilities. The experiment kit will be distributed one month before launch to schools or other distribution channels.

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    Applications

    Space Applications

    Information Pending

    Earth Applications

    Information Pending

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    Operations

    Operational Requirements

    Information Pending

    Operational Protocols

    The main purpose of this education/ demonstration experiment is to clearly show that plants respond to gravity by a directed growth (experiments on ground) and that they will show a non-preferential or disoriented growth direction when grown in the dark in weightlessness. The in-flight part of the experiment will consist of folding rockets with simple plant growth chambers in which Rucola seeds germinate either with or without light. Crew will setup the growth chamber, initiating seed germination by watering the seeds on the supporting filter paper using a standard 30-ml needleless syringe with luer lock stopcock. Crew will monitor the growth once a day. Since there is no in-flight experience with the proposed plants (species Rucola, rocket lettuce), we require three sets of cultures to be initiated on three consecutive days in flight. The duration for one plant culture is expected to be 3-4 days. Depending on the date and time for the live in flight call we need to initiate the seed germination 3, 4 and 5 days before. The best of the 3 sets will be used for the live video-audio connection.

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    Results/More Information

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    Results Publications

      Kimoto Y, Yamagata I, Ishizawa J, Miyazaki E, Baba N, Kato M.  Japanese Space Materials Exposure Experiment Utilizing International Space Station. 57th International Astronautical Congress, Valencia, Spain; 2006
      Colla G, Battistelli A, Proietti S, Moscatello S, Rouphael Y, Cardarelli M, Casucci M.  Rocket seedling production on the International Space Station: Growth and Nutritional properties. Microgravity Science and Technology. 2007; XIX(5/6): 118-121. DOI: 10.1007/BF02919465.
      Tepfer D, Zalar A, Leach S.  Survival of Plant Seeds, Their UV Screens, and nptII DNA for 18 Months Outside the International Space Station. Astrobiology. 2012; 12(5): 517-528. DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0744. PMID: 22680697.

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    Ground Based Results Publications

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    ISS Patents

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    Related Publications

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    Related Websites
  • ESA Erasmus Experiment Archive

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    Imagery

    image Seeds folding rocket
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    Information provided by the investigation team to the ISS Program Scientist's Office.
    If updates are needed to the summary please contact JSC-ISS-Program-Science-Group. For other general questions regarding space station research and technology, please feel free to call our help line at 281-244-6187 or e-mail at JSC-ISS-Research-Helpline.
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