Exeter youngsters grow rocket seeds sent from space

Strange life forms that have travelled through space have been spotted at Exeter Junior School.

On 2 September 2015, two kilograms of rocket seeds (that’s the sort of rocket you get in salads) travelled from Baikonur Cosmodrome in a Soyuz 44S rocket to the International Space Station.

There the seeds were looked after and stored in micro gravity by Britain’s Tim Peake. The seeds then hitched a ride back to Earth with a couple of friendly cosmonauts.

Back on Earth, members of Exeter Junior School Science Club then began their experiments. The children planted 200 seeds from anonymous “Blue” and “Red” packets.

Nobody knew which packet had been to space and which hadn’t. The young space biologists then had to ensure all variables were kept constant and the seeds treated exactly the same. They wait with baited breath to see which seeds will germinate and grow.

These results will then be reported back to the UK Space Agency. The findings could influence thinking on long distance space exploration, such as manned colonies on Mars.

At the moment this would be a “one way trip” with colonists having to grow their own food.

Richard Pidwell, Junior School Science Coordinator, said: “Exeter Junior School’s young scientists are keen to find out what will happen next. Watch this space and enjoy your rocket.”