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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
IIST, KAU launching post-flight studies on crop seeds that are back from International Space Station
The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) have begun post-flight studies on the crop seeds that were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Axiom-4 mission. After Group Capt. Shubhanshu Shukla and the other astronauts returned to earth after the 18-day mission, the IIST had taken possession of the seeds towards July-end. Using a portion of the seeds, IIST's Space Biology Lab, which is leading the 'Crop Seeds on ISS' project, has launched germination studies under lab conditions. But most of the 4000-plus seeds have been transferred to the KAU's College of Agriculture at Vellayani here for field studies, which is a collaborative initiative between the two institutions. The entire research project is expected to take two-and-a-half to three years to complete, IIST sources said. Seeds of Jyothi and Uma rice varieties, Kanakamani (horse gram), Vellayani Vijay (tomato), Thilakathara (sesame) and Soorya (brinjal/eggplant) were sent to ISS on the Axiom-4 mission which lifted off on June 25 on a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket. The biology payload consisted of dry seeds that were packed and exposed to microgravity conditions on the ISS and returned to earth. The 'Crop Seeds on ISS' project was achieved through multi-level agreements among ISRO and the European Space Agency, ISRO's Human Spaceflight Centre (HSFC) and IIST and IIST and KAU.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology researchers gear up to study seeds that were sent to space
With Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the rest of the Axiom-4 crew expected back on earth on Tuesday, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) here is preparing for post-flight field studies using the crop seeds that were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the high-profile mission. Post-flight studies will be conducted in collaboration with the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), which released the seeds for the project, according to IIST sources. Seeds of Jyothi and Uma rice varieties, Kanakamani (horse gram), Vellayani Vijay (tomato), Thilakathara (sesame) and Soorya (brinjal/eggplant) were sent to the ISS under the 'Crop Seeds on ISS', a project spearheaded by the IIST's Space Biology Lab. The IIST officials said they expected the seeds to reach Thiruvananthapuram within a few days. The biology payload consisted of dry seeds that were packed and exposed to microgravity conditions on the ISS and returned to earth. Back on earth, the space-returned samples will be grown to assess the unique effects of microgravity on growth and yield parameters and how it will be manifested in growth. Comparative studies will be carried out using three sets of samples under different conditions. The 'Crop Seeds on ISS' project was the result of multi-level memorandums of understanding between the ISRO and the European Space Agency, the ISRO's Human Spaceflight Centre (HSFC) and the IIST, and the IIST and the KAU. IIST Vice- Chancellor Dipankar Banerjee and HSFC Director D.K. Singh had inked an MoU in this regard in May. K.G. Sreejalakshmi, Professor, IIST, is the Principal Investigator of the project.
