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24 August 2001

Seed Pods from Space

Atlantis brings seed pods from space. A top-down view of the ADVANCED ASTROCULTURE (tm) plant growth chamber on the ISS, 28 days into the experiment. The leafy heads of the Arabidopsis plants are visible in the reddish light, which is a frequency (color) of light that plants can utilize for photosynthesis. (Inset) An Arabidopsis plant, better known as mustard weed, is shown here with tiny seed pods at the top. Astronauts on the station have been tending a batch of the fast-growing plants to discover whether plants can complete their entire seed-to-seed life cycle in a weightless environment. The small size of the plant was part of the reason researchers chose it for the experiment aboard the ISS, where physical space is at a premium.

Source: Boeing