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| This morning's Tweet from NASA astronaut, Scott Kelly |
It may just be a zinnia, but it may very well be the most important plant ever in human history! NASA gives us a brief explanation about the challenges of growing a flowering plant in space.
As a SF junkie I'm super excited about this news because with this small botanical step we can move past the fiction and make space travel a reality!
One of the problems with long distance space travel is weight. The more weight a ship carries, the more fuel it requires. This is a huge problem because fuel is extremely expensive when it comes to space travel - inhibitively so! At this point there are no nearby planets that sustain life, so long distance space travel also means you need to carry all your food with you. Think about it: a tomato seed is significantly lighter to transport than a tomato. What better way to bring your food with you than in seed form and grow only what you need - AND - you can propagate along the way! Indefinite food supply! Taking things a step further, I suspect that scientists will also find a way to overcome their other challenge - the creation of oxygen - as plants are instrumental in converting CO2 into oxygen. Hey! We're not just gardeners anymore! We're space pioneers!
One small step in horticulture, one giant leap for mankind!
Further reading on this topic...
How Mold on Space Station Flowers is Helping Get Us to Mars
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