Two crop seeds from Ladakh were sent to space. Now, they will be planted
The payload was carried to the ISS with Nasa's Crew-11 mission earlier this year.Known for their exceptional nutritional and medicinal properties, seabuckthorn and Himalayan buckwheat are key components of Ladakh's agricultural heritage. Both species thrive in one of the harshest climates on Earth, making them ideal candidates for testing resilience in space environments.
Ladakh is going through major environmental change. (Photo: Sibu Tripathi)
'This is the first-ever batch of seeds flown from Ladakh to space, symbolising resilient foods for cold, adverse environments,' said Siddharth Pandey, Director of Protoplanet, which collaborated on the experiment. 'Part of them will be sent for scientific analysis by our researchers, while the rest will be gifted to the people of Ladakh to inspire coming generations. It also paves the way for quick access to space and the return of samples from India via our partnership with Jaguar. As a symbolic gesture for public awareness and inspiration, we will gift some seeds to the UT Ladakh government.'Scientists hope that studying their genetic and metabolic responses to space exposure will reveal traits that could be harnessed for sustainable food production during long-duration space missions, and potentially enhance crop performance on Earth.'The cold desert varieties from Ladakh already survive extreme conditions on our planet. By sending them to space, we push their resilience limits even further,' said a scientist associated with the experiment. 'What we learn could help us grow food in places where it's currently impossible, whether that's on Mars or in arid regions here on Earth.'Following their return, the seeds will undergo rigorous laboratory analysis to detect any genetic mutations, structural changes, or metabolic shifts triggered by the orbital environment.These findings could open doors to developing hardier crops that can withstand climate change-related stresses such as drought, poor soil quality, and temperature extremes.The experiment also represents a significant step for India in the global space-agriculture arena, showcasing Ladakh's role in pioneering research with international implications.For now, the tiny seeds carry within them the potential to unlock big answers, not just for feeding astronauts in deep space, but for securing food supplies in some of the most challenging environments on Earth.- Ends
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
When a NASA intern stole $21 million worth of Lunar rocks— to impress his girlfriend
In 2002, a shocking theft rocked NASA, literally. Former NASA intern Thad Roberts, along with his then-girlfriend Tiffany Fowler and two other friends, stole 17 pounds (7.7 kg) of lunar samples valued at $21 million. The motive? According to Roberts, it was to impress his love interest. But the FBI later revealed there was also a financial angle. The bizarre incident, detailed by People magazine and later in Ben Mezrich's 2011 book Sex on the Moon, saw the young intern and his team go to extreme lengths to pull off the heist. They tampered with security cameras, donned Neoprene bodysuits, and carried authentic NASA badges to access the highly secure Building 31, where the moon rocks were stored. At the time, Roberts was a 24-year-old prodigy with triple degrees in physics, geology, and geophysics from the University of Utah. During his internship at NASA, he met 22-year-old stem cell researcher Tiffany Fowler. The two quickly became romantically involved and moved in together within weeks. Roberts soon shared his audacious plan to steal moon rocks, which piqued Fowler's interest. They enlisted another NASA intern, Shae Saur, to help. On a July evening, Roberts and Fowler entered Building 31 while Saur kept watch, monitoring the compromised security system. The couple accessed an airless lab, removed a safe containing lunar samples, and later cracked it open with a power saw. In one of the strangest twists, Roberts reportedly placed some of the moon rocks under his bedcovers, claiming it was a symbolic gesture of 'having sex on the moon.' Speaking to CBS in 2012, he said: 'I mean, the simple answer is to say that I did it for love. I did it because I wanted to be loved. I wanted someone to know that I'd cared about them that much. And to have the symbol there to remind them of it. It was more about the symbol of what we were doing… And no one had ever had sex on the moon before. I think we can safely say that.' Roberts also claimed Fowler was unaware of the rocks under the blanket, though he hinted she might have felt them during their intimate moment. While Roberts maintained it was an act of love, the FBI uncovered another motive: money. Investigators found that he had been in contact with a potential buyer from Belgium who offered between $1,000 and $5,000 per gram for the rocks. When the buyer became suspicious of their origin, they alerted the FBI, triggering an undercover operation that led to the arrests. Roberts pleaded guilty in 2002 to stealing the moon rocks and was sentenced to eight years in prison. He also admitted to stealing dinosaur bones and fossils from the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City while at the University of Utah. He served just over six years before being released in 2008. Fowler and Saur pleaded guilty and were given house arrest, community service, and ordered to pay restitution. Another accomplice, McWhorter, was sentenced to six years in prison. Roberts and Fowler ended their relationship after the incident.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
NASA intern stole $21 million in Moon rocks, and hid them under a blanket for a bizarre reason
It was one of NASA 's most bizarre scandals, blending science fiction and true-crime thrillers. In 2002, a young intern committed an audacious heist, stealing valuable moon rocks from the Johnson Space Center. What followed was romance, undercover FBI agents, and one of the most bizarre "symbolic gestures" ever attempted. Thad Roberts, a NASA intern, stole moon rocks worth $21 million in 2002 with the help of other interns. The theft, which was inspired by a strange symbolic act, came to an end when an undercover FBI sting recovered the samples. Roberts spent six years in prison, and the rocks were rendered useless for research. Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals By Vaibhav Sisinity View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program How did a NASA intern commit a $21 million moon rock theft? Thad Roberts, a 24-year-old University of Utah student majoring in physics, geology, and geophysics, devised a heist plan straight out of a movie in July 2002. Roberts, who was already married and struggling financially, worked as a NASA intern at Houston's Johnson Space Center, where priceless lunar samples from each Apollo mission were stored in a 600-pound safe, as quoted in a report by The NY Post. Roberts conspired with friend Gordon McWhorter and fellow interns Tiffany Fowler and Shae Saur to steal the rocks and sell them to a buyer in Belgium for $1,000 to $5,000 per gram. Live Events Using their NASA IDs, the trio entered the Lunar Sample Lab one night and wheeled the safe away. Inside were approximately 17 pounds of moon rocks and a rare meteorite worth $21 million. ALSO READ: Who was Danielle Spencer, child star of the '70s sitcom, who passed away at 60? What bizarre "symbolic" act followed the robbery? While waiting to meet the alleged buyer, Roberts and Fowler stayed at an Orlando hotel. On July 20, 2002, the 33rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Roberts chose to commemorate the occasion in an unusual way, as quoted in a report by The NY Post. He put moon rocks under the bed covers before being intimate with Fowler, later calling it "symbolic" and describing it as "being intimate on the moon." In a subsequent interview, Roberts admitted that the act was uncomfortable, but emphasized that it was about the meaning, not the experience, as quoted in a report by The NY Post. ALSO READ: Orca attack mystery: What really happened to marine trainer Jessica Radcliffe How did the FBI bring the operation down? The Belgian "buyer" turned out to be working with the FBI. Agents set up a sting operation, planning to meet Roberts and his accomplices in Orlando. When they arrived expecting to conduct a transaction, undercover agents were already waiting, as quoted in a report by The NY Post. The moon rocks were recovered from their hotel room, but at a significant loss. According to the FBI, the theft rendered the samples "virtually useless to the scientific community" and destroyed a NASA scientist's handwritten research notes spanning three decades. Following the Moon Rock caper, Roberts admitted to conspiracy to commit theft and interstate transportation of stolen property. He was sentenced to eight years in federal prison and served six. Fowler and Saur received house arrest and community service, while McWhorter, who was convicted at trial, received a six-year sentence, as quoted in a report by The NY Post. Following his arrest, Roberts admitted to stealing dinosaur bones and fossils from the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City. His stated goal was to use any money raised to fund scientific research, not to purchase luxury items, which was met with skepticism. The heist remains one of NASA's most notorious security breaches, remembered as much for its audacity as for its bizarre "moon romance" twist. FAQs What were the stolen moon rocks worth? The FBI estimates that the amount is around $21 million. Whatever happened to Thad Roberts? Following his guilty plea, he served six years in federal prison.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
NASA warns Earth's oxygen will one day vanish: What might happen if it starts sooner than we think?
NASA's Prediction and the Long Countdown — Reineguerrieree (@Reineguerrieree) The 'What If' Scenario When Technology and Nature Collapse Together Why the Warning Still Matters Today NASA's latest forecast has stirred both curiosity and alarm: Earth is slowly heading toward a 'great deoxygenation.' While the space agency says this event is likely still 10,000 years away, the thought of our planet losing its most vital life-supporting element is enough to raise pressing questions — what happens if oxygen levels start dropping sooner?Oxygen is not only the fuel for human survival but also the invisible lifeline of countless environmental and technological systems. NASA scientists cautioned that, over millennia, Earth's oxygen balance will shift dramatically. Though the timeline is distant, the announcement has triggered a wave of speculation over how even small declines in oxygen availability could affect explore the potential fallout, YouTube channel What If simulated a world where oxygen levels drop by 1% every second. Unlike a sudden disappearance, this gradual loss paints a terrifyingly realistic picture of how humans, animals, and the planet would respond to each a 10% reduction, the average person would feel fatigued, similar to being at high altitudes where oxygen is thin. Push that drop to 30%, and daily activities become exhausting, hospital patients with heart or lung issues face life-threatening strain, and even birds start falling from the crisis would not stop at human health. Combustion engines in cars would fail, planes would be unable to fly, and key electrical systems could shut down — disrupting transport, finance, and medical care. The environment would take a massive hit too, with the ozone layer — itself composed of oxygen — degrading and letting in harmful solar the time oxygen levels are halved, confusion, poor judgement, and brain malfunction would spread rapidly. At 99% depletion, life as we know it would cease. Humans, animals, and plants would vanish, while buildings and infrastructure would crumble without oxygen's chemical bonds holding them NASA's projection spans thousands of years, the simulation underscores a sobering truth — oxygen stability is non-negotiable for life. Even minor reductions could cause catastrophic chain reactions. Scientists stress that environmental changes , climate disruptions, and human activity could influence how quickly or slowly such shifts may not face an oxygen crisis tomorrow, but understanding its role today could be the key to preventing one in the far future. As NASA's warning suggests, safeguarding our atmosphere is not just about protecting what we breathe — it is about preserving the foundation of life itself.
