ISRO’s plant experiment in space is showing some amazing results marking a milestone achievement. The experiment, Compact Research Module for Orbital plant studies (CROPS) was launched as a part of the PSLV- C60 (SpaDex – Space Docking experiment) mission on December 30, 2024. Two SpaDex satellites were docked into a circular orbit around the Earth.
CROPS is an experiment, basically a multi-phase initiative conducted by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) to study how plants adapt to and grow in the unique conditions of space. This contributes to the growing body of research based on Astrobotany- study of plant growth in extraterrestrial environments. For which, the cowpea seeds were chosen as they can germinate and sprout easily, within a week. The batch of cowpea seeds were placed in a controlled environment with active thermal regulation imitating to the extended space travel conditions in a closed box. Within four days, eight cowpea seeds have germinated, tender leaves have also grown onboard the Poem-4 platform. The microgravity in space proved to be an obstacle, however the seeds could adapt.
The success of the CROPS experiment will provide significant insights to plant biology and sustainable life support systems. This experiment is important for the future endeavors in space exploration including the long duration missions to Mars and away, where astronauts can sustain with the life support systems.
The Poem-4 module of ISRO hosted a total 24 payloads that had various experiments from ISRO and other academic institutions. This serves an important collaboration between government and private institutions for the advancement in scientific knowledge. POEM is also studying growth of gut bacteria and spinach cells in microgravity, which will help in further biological research.
ISRO took to social media platform X to share the news, “Leaves have emerged! VSSC’s CROPS (Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies) aboard PSLV-C60 POEM-4 achieves a milestone as cowpea sprouts unveil their first leaves in space.”
ISRO to launch its 100th mission
ISRO has announced the launch of its 100th mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota in January 2025. The GSLV (Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle) will be used to launch the second generation navigation satellite NVS-02.
