NASA grew corn in space and discovered something unexpected:How can it help during long-duration missions

What happens when a seed starts growing without gravity telling it which way is up or down? NASA scientists tried to find the answer by sending corn seeds into space. The experiment showed something surprising: the plants could grow and remain healthy, but their roots and shoots struggled to follow their normal directions. The experiment offered scientists an early look at one of the challenges they will face if astronauts eventually have to grow food during long missions to the Moon or Mars. So let’s break down what NASA did and how it could help in space exploration. What did NASA do? In an experiment conducted aboard the Space Shuttle in the early 1990s, researchers sent dry corn seeds into orbit. The seeds were given water and allowed to germinate and grow for five days in darkness. At the same time, an identical batch of seeds was grown on Earth under normal gravity. Scientists then compared the seedlings from the two environments. The space-grown corn developed normally in several ways. Its tissue structure and other biological characteristics remained largely normal. But there was one major difference: the roots and shoots had lost their usual orientation. The researchers described the seedlings as appearing normal except for the “lack of orientation of roots and shoots.” How do plants normally grow on Earth? Gravity acts like a natural guide for plants. When a seed germinates on Earth, its roots generally grow downward, while its shoot grows upward. Plants have specialised cells that can sense gravity and send signals that influence the direction in which different parts of the plant grow. Light is another important signal. Shoots generally grow towards light, which helps the plant reach the surface and carry out photosynthesis. This ability to respond to gravity is known as gravitropism. So, a plant growing on Earth is constantly receiving environmental signals that help it work out where to send its roots and shoots. Also read: Getting late to office every day due to traffic?: Try these 5 Google Maps tricks to improve your daily commute

What changed when the corn grew in space? Without Earth’s normal gravitational cue, the corn seedlings did not follow the same clear growth pattern. Their roots and shoots grew in less predictable directions, rather than following the familiar downward and upward paths seen on Earth. However, the plants did not simply stop growing. Their tissues remained healthy during the five-day experiment. The biggest change was their orientation, rather than their basic ability to develop. Why are roots especially important in space? Roots do much more than keep a plant anchored. They absorb water and nutrients, which are essential for plant growth. On Earth, gravity helps roots establish a predictable downward direction. In microgravity, researchers need to understand how roots respond to water, nutrients, and other environmental signals when there is no clear ‘down.’ This becomes especially important for space farming. A plant that survives in space is useful for research, but future astronauts will need crops that can grow efficiently and produce food. Is corn the only plant affected in space? No. Corn is just one of many plants that scientists have studied in space. NASA-funded research has also examined Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering plant from the mustard family that is widely used in plant biology experiments. Experiments aboard the International Space Station have shown that its roots can develop unusual curves or ‘skew’ when grown in microgravity. Researchers have also found that plants can change the activity of their genes in space. Studies have shown that factors such as light can influence how plants respond to the space environment. This suggests that plants are actively adjusting their biological systems rather than simply growing exactly as they would on Earth. Also read: False claims about WhatsApp’s blue and red ticks circulating online: How to check what’s real and what’s fake; follow these 7 safety tips Why could this matter for Mars? Future missions to Mars could last for months or even years. Astronauts would need large amounts of food for such missions, and carrying every meal from Earth would place additional demands on spacecraft and supplies. Growing at least some fresh food during a long mission could help provide astronauts with a renewable source of produce. But growing plants away from Earth will not be simple. Scientists will have to deal with challenges such as microgravity or reduced gravity, radiation, limited water, and carefully controlled light, temperature, and atmosphere. From a five-day corn experiment to future space gardens The early corn experiment was only a small experiment, and scientists were careful not to assume that what happened over five days would necessarily remain the same over months or years. But it revealed an important clue: plants can grow in microgravity, while their normal growth patterns can change significantly. Since then, NASA and other researchers have continued studying plants aboard the International Space Station and in controlled space-growing systems. The goal is to understand how plants can use other environmental signals to compensate for the missing gravitational cue.