NASA study: how the space environment affects the seed of 11 crops

In 2020, NASA sent seeds obtained from 11 crop species aboard an experimental spaceplane. After the planting material spent several months in orbit, specialists returned it to Earth to test whether the seed is capable of further growth.

During the scientific work, researchers studied the effect of microgravity and cosmic radiation on seed viability, its ability to germinate, the development of the plants themselves, as well as the molecular changes that occurred. The Orbital Test Vehicle-6 (OTV-6) was used for the experiment. In addition, ground control samples were involved in the study, which made it possible to compare the impact of outer space conditions with the results of radiation simulation and terrestrial environment parameters.