What if you got to put a Fast Plant Space Experiment on a rocket? What questions would you ask, and how would you design your experiment? We got that very opportunity when Emily Calandrelli, The Space Gal, offered us the chance to send seeds and experiments into orbit with her aboard Blue Origin’s NS-28 Mission. We also recently worked with Major Luci White–a Space Force astrobotanist and fellow UW-Madison Badger. So, Fast Plants in space was already on our radar. With Astronaut Calandrelli’s offer, we all collaborated to design a new experiment specifically for the Blue Origin flight, building on prior plant research.
Now, read in this post everything you need to know about this cool Fast Plants experiment and how you can share it with your students and kids. All the while, you and your learners can keep an eye on our experimental and control Fast Plants space experiment via this live feed.
What is the Fast Plants Space Experiment?
Wisconsin Fast Plants are well-known for their rapid growth and use as a model organism in classrooms and laboratories; now they’ve once again ventured beyond Earth.
This opportunity allowed us to study Fast Plants seedlings exposed to microgravity and hopefully learn something useful for understanding nutrient dynamics in space. While plant researchers like Dr. Mary Musgrave and many others have developed foundational understandings of nutrient requirements and delivery for space-grown plants, there is still much to learn. One area of focus includes how microgravity impacts nutrient storage and mobilization, critical factors for successfully growing plants beyond Earth. (Read about Dr. Musgrave’s research accomplishments on page 39 of this ASPB newsletter.)
This experiment—dubbed “Seedlings in Space”—explores a question at the intersection of biology, agriculture, and space exploration:
Does the microgravity environment of spaceflight impact seedlings that have just emerged during germination in any way that impacts their nutrient profile as a fully-grown adult plant?
Fast Plants seedlings were exposed to microgravity during an early life stage (when they were just transitioning from embryo inside a seed to an emerging seedling). This stage was chosen both for its portability in space and potential for impact, as this is a time when cells are growing and differentiating quickly. Also, during germination and emergence, embryos switch from using food and energy reserves contained in the seed to seedlings generating their own food through photosynthesis. Therefore, we wondered if this life stage could be associated with extra vulnerability to environmental stressors.
We also wondered if nutrient density in food crops grown in space could be vulnerable to a epigenetic changes brought on by microgravity stressors experienced by seedlings (something similar to research findings about toxic stressors and child development). These wonderings are related also to the 2024 research collaboration between Fast Plants and Space Force plant scientist, Major Luci White. Those experiments demonstrated some possible epigenetic changes in Fast Plants that experienced microgravity during a flight on the KC-135 Stratotanker (aka “The Vomit Comet”).
To look for evidence related to our experimental question, we designed the “Seeds in Space” Fast Plants space experiment to compare the growth and nutrient levels produced by space-flown seedlings with their Earth-bound “control” counterparts.
Through these comparisons, we hope to possibly find some insights about space agriculture.
In addition, this experiment is intended to be more than a scientific investigation—it’s also a learning opportunity for students and others everywhere!
Why Focus on Growing Plants in Space?
Space exploration pushes the boundaries of what’s possible, and with humanity setting its sights on long-term missions to the Moon and Mars, growing food in space is no longer science fiction. Plants not only provide food but also oxygen, water filtration, and psychological benefits.
Inside the Fast Plants Space Experiment
This experiment was built with scientific design and transparency in mind, so we can share both the experimental process and results openly. The investigation is relatively simple because it is highly exploratory. In addition, it’s design is intended so that educators and students alike can engage with and observe it. Here’s what the experiment involves:
- Seed Prep & Launch
The experiment started with specially prepared seedlings started to germinate before loading aboard the Blue Origin rocket. Identical “control” seeds were kept on Earth with otherwise similar growing conditions.
- Post-Flight Growth & Observation
After their space adventure, as quickly as possible following their return to Earth, the seedlings were transplanted into soil. We used small cells for this transplant to make it possible to fly them back to the Wisconsin Fast Plants Lab. Once in the lab, all seedlings were given the same growing conditions and soon transplanted again into larger pots (to maximize leaf growth for tissue sampling).
A webcam is broadcasting a sample of the experimental plants growing in real-time. Students and others can tune in and observe a sampling of Fast Plants that flew in space as seedlings and the ground-control plants growing side-by-side.
- Data Collection & Testing
At maturity (about two weeks) and after pollination, researchers will harvest leaves from the experimental and control group plants. These leaves (aka biomass) will be the tissue used to conduct nutrient “sap tests” in search of differences in nutrients. We wonder if any nutrient differences will be detected in the tissue taken from the space-exposed compared to the Earth-bound plants! These data will no doubt generate further questions and–hopefully–help inform future experiments.
In addition to biomass, researchers are observing growth and development, will count flowers produced, and collect seed from both treatment groups (and test the seed viability). What other data would you collect?
How Can STEM Educators Get Students Engaged?
This experiment is an invitation for you and your students to explore plant biology, space science, and the broader implications of growing food on- and off-planet. Here’s how you can make the most of this exciting opportunity:
1. Follow Along with Virtual Observations
The Seedlings in Space team is making this Fast Plants space experiment as interactive as possible. A webcam is live-streaming the plants during their growth, complete with real-time environmental data (e.g., temperature and light intensity measured with Vernier probeware) visible on screen. This means anyone can watch these plants in action!
2. Incorporate Fast Plants Into Lessons
Whether or not you followed the real-time growth during this experiment, you and your students can design and implement your own nutrient experiments. For example, use different fertilizer levels, collect data, and compare growth metrics to see what you learn!
3. Discuss Space Farming with Students
Encourage your students to brainstorm solutions to challenging questions, such as:
- What other factors could affect plant growth and nutrient levels in space?
- How might food systems work on the Moon or Mars?
- How could plant research in space help us address food insecurity on Earth?
By fostering curiosity, your students may become the next generation of innovators solving agricultural challenges on Earth and beyond.
Collaboration That Inspires
Emily Calandrelli’s involvement added an extra layer of excitement and engagement to this project. Known for her work as a STEM communicator and advocate, Emily’s passion aligns with making science accessible to all—exactly what this experiment hopes to support by bringing space research into the classroom.
Through collaborations like this, science moves beyond our laboratories and far-off launch sites. It becomes real, tangible, and inspiring for students and educators alike.
A Future for Space Farming—and STEM Education
The Fast Plants Seedlings in Space project highlights the power of curiosity, collaboration, and education.
Want to incorporate exciting experiments like this in your classroom? Consider exploring Fast Plants for your next lesson plan. You’ll not only expand your students’ understanding of biology but spark an interest in solving problems that affect astronauts and Earthlings alike.
What discovery will your students make next?
Learn More about growing Wisconsin Fast Plants and get started with resources in the “Grow” section of our website, other blog posts, and lessons in our Digital Library.
