ISRO Time Lapse Video Shows How Plants Grow In Space

India’s Space Research Organization (ISRO) has once again achieved success in the world of space. ISRO has shared a time-lapse video from the PSLV-C60 mission which shows how the seeds sent into space are germinating and growing into cowpea plants. ISRO says that these seeds germinated in microgravity in just four days. Actually, this is part of the organization’s Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS) mission.

The purpose of this experiment conducted by ISRO was to discover sustainable agricultural practices in space so that it could be used in long-duration missions. That is, food and drink facilities can be provided to astronauts through farming during long space missions. CROPS was developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Center under which 8 seeds of cowpea were grown in a controlled environment. During this, similar conditions were simulated that astronauts may face in missions.

ISRO shared a time lapse video on X. Even three days ago, information was given about germination of seeds. According to the report, cowpea was chosen for this experiment because it germinates quickly. This is a big success for ISRO because in future the possibilities of farming on other planets can be explored through this.

The environment in the spacecraft is a closed environment. In such a situation, cowpea needs essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur to grow. These help in plant growth in microgravity. According to scientists, plants change their growth patterns in microgravity. For example, there may be a change in the development of stem and root. Compared to Earth, plants can grow in all directions in space.