[ad_1]
In a significant leap in the field of space biology, India is planning to send living biological material for three different experiments. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is all set to send spinach, cowpea and gut bacteria to space in its PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-4 (POEM-4).
Under the PSLV-C60 mission, scientists will study the evolution of these living species in space. The mission is scheduled to be launched by the end of the year and is scheduled to deploy twin satellites ‘Chaser and Target’ to demonstrate space docking technologies that are critical to India’s space station construction.
ISRO’s mission to send spinach cells into space
Amity University is running a mission to grow spinach in space. The university team will conduct two similar experiments simultaneously: one on POEM-4 and the other sample will be grown in a controlled environment at the university.
Main objective behind growing food in space
According to India Today, the findings of the study will help scientists understand various agricultural impacts on Earth and during long-duration space missions.
This experiment is likely to help experts understand how plants will adapt to gravity and light in space. These observations may be beneficial in growing food in extraterrestrial environments.
ISRO will grow eight cowpea seeds in space
Apart from spinach, ISRO scientists will also study the germination and plant nutrition of eight cowpea seeds in space as they grow to the two-leaf stage. The experiment will be conducted in a closed-box environment with active thermal control as part of the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS) developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
The results of the experiment will provide information about how higher plants sense gravity and the direction of light.
Study of gut bacteria growth in space
The second part of the experiment involves sending samples of gut bacteria. According to NDTV report, the intestinal bacteria Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron will be sent to space in a closed capsule. Their growth will help scientists understand them better and investigate their behavior in extraterrestrial environments. The team will also study the impact of bacterial growth on gut health and gene regulation.
[ad_2]
