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Context:
As Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew return to Earth, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) is set to launch post-flight research on crop seeds that were part of a biological payload aboard the mission. The project is a significant step in India’s efforts to explore space-based agriculture and microgravity research.
About the “Crop Seeds on ISS” Project
- Objective:
- To study the impact of microgravity on the growth and yield of selected Indian crop varieties.
- Lead Institution:
- Space Biology Lab, IIST, Thiruvananthapuram
- Collaborating Institutions:
- Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) – Provided the seeds
- ISRO, European Space Agency (ESA)
- ISRO Human Spaceflight Centre (HSFC)
Crop Varieties Sent to ISS
- Jyothi and Uma – Rice
- Kanakamani – Horse gram
- Vellayani Vijay – Tomato
- Thilakathara – Sesame
- Soorya – Brinjal (Eggplant)
Significance of the Study
- Helps understand how plants respond to extraterrestrial environments, crucial for long-duration space missions and off-Earth agriculture.
- Adds a biological dimension to India’s human spaceflight program.
- Demonstrates India’s growing role in astrobiology and space-based food security research.