Bengaluru, January 6, 2025: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully germinating cowpea seeds in space for the first time. This historic experiment was conducted aboard the PSLV-C60 mission, launched on December 30, 2024.
The Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS), developed by ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, was at the heart of this mission. Over four days, the cowpea seeds germinated under microgravity conditions aboard the POEM-4 platform, a significant step in space agriculture.
This experiment is a crucial component of ISRO’s broader research agenda aimed at enabling sustainable life support systems for long-duration space missions. The success of the CROPS experiment demonstrates India’s capability to cultivate food in space, marking a major stride toward self-sufficiency for astronauts on interplanetary journeys.
Significance
- Advancement in Space Farming: The experiment sets the foundation for cultivating crops in space, essential for future human exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
- Long-Term Space Missions: Understanding plant growth in microgravity is critical for developing life support systems for astronauts.
- Global Collaboration: The findings contribute to international research on space-based agriculture, fostering collaboration in deep-space exploration.
ISRO Chairman, S. Somanath, expressed his pride in the achievement, stating, “This breakthrough is a testament to India’s technological ingenuity and our commitment to addressing challenges in space exploration. The successful germination of seeds in space paves the way for greater self-reliance in future missions.”
With this accomplishment, ISRO continues to strengthen its position as a global leader in space research, inspiring new possibilities for human space exploration.
