Three twelfth-grade students will have the scientific and financial sponsorship of BASF as they launch their research project to the International Space Station (ISS).  The students from the ag program at Edith Stein School in Ravensburg, Germany have created an experiment to test the growth of plants in microgravity conditions.

Up to this point research being done on crop growth in space has focused on seedling roots and how they respond to the lack of gravity.  The students’ experiment focuses on plant cuttings, and if roots and leaves can develop to produce food.  If it turns out that cuttings can be used, it would be a huge step in supplying long-term space flights with food from space farming.

“We are excited about this project and about working with forward-thinking young people who strive for groundbreaking ideas and innovation. With our 100 years of experience in agriculture, it has been a thrilling challenge to investigate what could come next and how to achieve the ultimate goal of growing and reproducing plants on a space station,” said Dr. Harald Rang, Senior Vice President Research & Development, BASF Crop Protection.

To ensure the success of the experiment, the student research team is currently developing an appropriate experimental design for the ISS. BASF is providing knowledge on how to keep the plants healthy and free from fungal disease during the foreseen 30 days in the ISS environment. The students will do an internship with experts at the BASF Agricultural Center in Limburgerhof, Germany, before conducting trials at Kennedy Space Center laboratories in Florida.