Asked by: Pandu Sachez
science space and astronomy

When was the first plant grown in space?

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Arabidopsis thaliana
Thaliana was the first plant to ever flower in space, in 1982 aboard Soviet Salyut 7. This plant has been grown on many space missions due to its immense research value. It is not a viable source of food for astronauts, but the discoveries made using A.


Subsequently, one may also ask, which country tried to grow plants in space?

In 1982, the crew of the Soviet Salyut 7 space station conducted an experiment, prepared by Lithuanian scientists (Alfonsas Merkys and others), and grew some Arabidopsis using Fiton-3 experimental micro-greenhouse apparatus, thus becoming the first plants to flower and produce seeds in space.

Also, how does NASA grow plants in space? Each plant grows in a “pillow” filled with a clay-based growth media and fertilizer. The pillows are important to help distribute water, nutrients and air in a healthy balance around the roots.

Additionally, what plants have been grown in space?

But astronauts have grown several varieties of lettuce, radishes, peas, zinnias, and sunflowers, and they do just fine. “Plants are very adaptive, and they have to be—they can't run away,” says Gioia Massa, a scientist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center who studies plants in microgravity.

Why can't plants grow in space?

Gravity is an important influence on root growth, but the scientists found that their space plants didn't need it to flourish. The new study revealed that "features of plant growth we thought were a result of gravity acting on plant cells and organs do not actually require gravity," she added.

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EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

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14th May, 2020

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