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ISRO has shared the picture of cowpea leaves on X.
ISRO had launched SpaDeX i.e. Space Docking Experiment mission from Sriharikota on 30 December. The cowpea seeds sent along with it have developed leaves. ISRO has released its picture. Two days ago the photo of its germination was also revealed.
With this, ISRO has succeeded in growing plants in space through CROPS (Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies) on POEM-4 (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module).
CROPS has been designed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC). Cowpea was chosen for the experiment because it germinates rapidly. It also has more tolerance and nutrition.
The docking program of ISRO’s Spacex mission, scheduled for January 7, has been postponed to January 9. According to ISRO, the mission requires validation through ground simulation.
ISRO had launched SpaceX on December 30 at 10 pm from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
India will become the fourth country to have space docking technology
ISRO had launched SpaDeX i.e. Space Docking Experiment Mission on December 30 at 10 pm from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Two spacecraft were deployed 475 km above the Earth with the PSLV-C60 rocket.
The total weight of both spacecraft is 440 kg. Under this mission, on January 9, these two spacecraft, which are traveling ten times faster than the speed of a bullet, will be connected. If the mission is successful, India will become the fourth country to do so after Russia, America and China.
India’s Chandrayaan-4 mission hinges on the success of the mission, in which samples of lunar soil will be brought to Earth. Chandrayaan-4 mission is likely to be launched in 2028.
Chaser moving towards target recorded selfie video
ISRO has shared the selfie video on X.
The Chaser module has recorded an in-orbit space selfie video in space. The main objective of the mission is to verify accurate docking in space and this video is evidence that the mission is moving in the right direction.
This video was recorded when the chaser was moving towards the target. On January 2, its inter-satellite distance was 4.8 km. Real time video of the docking of both spacecraft will also be released.
ISRO also preparing to grow spinach
This payload has been prepared by Amity University Mumbai.
24 payloads related to research and development were also sent with Spacex. These payloads are docked at an altitude of 700 km above the Earth. Of these, 14 payloads are from ISRO and the remaining 10 are from startups and academia. One of these is the Amity Plant Experimental Module in Space (APEMS) payload, which has been created by Amity University. It will research how plant cells grow in space.
Under this research, experiments will be conducted simultaneously in space and on Earth. Important things like sunlight and nutrients will be provided to the spinach cells through LED lights and gel. A camera will record plant cell color and growth. If the color of the cell changes then the experiment will fail.
Hope of growing plants in space on Mars mission increased
The news of germination in cowpea has increased the hopes of success in the research on spinach. Experiments on spinach cells will be conducted simultaneously in space and on Earth. Important things like sunlight and nutrients will be provided to the spinach cells through LED lights and gel. A camera will record plant cell color and growth. If the color of the cell changes then the experiment will fail.
If successful in these experiments, it can help in improving agricultural techniques in space and on Earth. Also, the possibility of Indian scientists growing plants during long space journeys, such as Mars missions, will be further strengthened.
