PLANTS IN SPACE
Plants have played a pivotal role in space exploration efforts and will be critical for future space travel. From humble beginnings of just a handful of seeds hitching a ride into orbit to sophisticated plant-cultivation systems on the International Space Station (ISS), space-based plant research has come a long way. Astrobotany is not only integral for long-term space travel endeavours, it has also significantly benefited our lives here on Earth.
15 years before Yuri Gagarin embarked on his historic first flight into space, a very different kind of pioneer made the trip. Scientists wanted to observe the effects of space on biological material, sending a handful of maize (corn) seeds into orbit before committing to anything more substantial. These little seeds were not only an important stepping stone to getting humans into space, but also marked the dawn of the astrobotany era.
Since then, countless
