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CORAL GABLES, Fla. July 1, 2018 / PRNewswire / – Friday was a historic day for Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden as two of four new plant varieties heading for the International Space Station (ISS) was chosen by students from colleges and high schools through experiments coordinated by Fairchild.
SpaceX CRS-15 was launched early Friday morning, carrying several scientific experiments, including seeds to be tested in NASA's vegetarian growth chamber. Two varieties of plants, the "Dragoon" lettuce and the "Extra Dwarf" pak choi, were chosen based on Fairchild's Growing Beyond Earth clbadroom science results. The launch today represents three years of intensive research by Fairchild and more than 15,000 students.
"This spectacular launch before the dawn of SpaceX CRS-15 carried seeds of edible plants selected by students from South Florida Program of Growth Beyond the Earth." declared Carl Lewis Ph.D., director of Fairchild Garden "The pak choi and dragon lettuce gave good results in clbadroom experiments and we will now see how they are developing on the International Space Station. "
The partnership between Fairchild and NASA mobilized thousands of high school students and taught them science, technology, engineering and mathematics ( STEM) Students constructed and used a plant growth system that approximates conditions found in vegetarian growth chambers of the ISS.They followed research protocols to measure and record plant growth data, which astronauts will put to the ultimate test in the space.
"I have the impression of having had a unique opportunity to contribute to this mission," Daniela Gonzalez a Grade 11 Student at BioTECH Richmond Heights 9 -12, Miami "It's amazing to think that our work is seriously helping the space program!"
About Growth Beyond the Earth
Croowing Beyond Earth is Fairchild Center's science-based clbadroom project to advance research on plant culture on spacecraft. While NASA envisions a long-term human presence beyond Earth's orbit, there are specific challenges to STEM related to food production. The Fairchild project is tackling these challenges by expanding the diversity and quality of edible plants that can be grown in the space. Growing Beyond Earth is currently underway in 120 high schools and high schools in Miami-Dade, especially in first-grade schools. As of 2018, 30 pilot sites were established outside Miami-Dade in others Florida and Ohio Pennsylvania Colorado and Puerto Rico . Growing Beyond Earth is based on the work supported by NASA under the NNX16AM32G award number. The opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Follow us on Twitter @GrowBeyondEarth.
About Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Established in 1938 and comprising 83 acres in Miami, Florida Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization lucrative dedicated to the exploration, explanation and conservation of the world of tropical plants. The world-renowned plant collections feature unusual plants from the tropical world. Fairchild has the largest botanical education program in all metropolitan areas, reaching more than 200,000 schoolchildren each year. Special events include chocolate, mango and orchid festivals in addition to an annual art exhibition, concerts, plant sales and more. For more information, visit www.fairchildgarden.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest
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SOURCE Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden
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