Some researchers on board the Chinese Tiangong space station started an exciting research, because they started growing lettuce, cherry tomatoes and spring onions this summer, which is part of a long-term plan that will help deep space research in the future.
It is not the first time that astronauts have tried to grow plants in a microgravity environment, as similar experiments were carried out previously on the International Space Station. However, a similar experiment has now been carried out on board the Chinese Tiangong. The Shenzhou-16 crew has been on the space station since the end of May, using two special pieces of equipment to grow vegetables.
The first started operating in June and harvested four batches of lettuce. The second one was put into operation in August for the cultivation of cherry tomatoes and green onions. The China Astronaut Research and Training Center has also set up replicas on Earth, allowing researchers to compare results and more precisely analyze the differences between plant growth in space and on Earth. This mission is an important part of their future plans, which include sending a man to the moon by 2030.
Watch Shenzhou-16 astronauts gardening in space pic.twitter.com/cmHTEDSdM7
— Tiangong | China Space Station (@TiangongStation) September 15, 2023
2023-10-30 19:30:47
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