During a DuPont research mission that concluded with the return of Space Shuttle Atlantis last October, soybean seeds planted and nurtured by DuPont scientists germinated, developed into plants, flowered and produced new seedpods in space aboard the International Space Station.
The 97-day growth research initiative was the first ever to complete a major crop growth cycle in space – from planting seeds to growing new seeds.
With 83 space-grown soybean seeds on Earth since October last year, DuPont conducted several analytical studies on the harvested seeds.
The space-grown seeds were manually split – with one part of the seed sowed to grow and the other half grounded to examine its biological characteristics. The space-grown seeds and their subsequent plants were compared to a variety of independent Earth-grown soybean seeds and plants.
After several months of analysis, DuPont researchers discovered that the space-grown soybeans, when compared to Earth-grown soybeans, were similar in physical and biological characteristics, developmental rate, morphology and seed yields.
Researchers noted the space-grown seeds were higher in sugar content, but lower in oil and amino acid content, presumably due to the higher carbon dioxide levels on the International Space Station.
"This clearly demonstrates soybeans can be grown as a crop in space to provide both food and serve as an atmospheric scrubber for long-term space travel," said Dr. Tom Corbin, DuPont lead researcher on the initiative.
"This project was a great success. When we started, we were unsure if the seeds would even remain planted in space without any gravity, let alone grow. As it turned out, the project was the first-ever to complete a major crop growth cycle in space – from planting seeds to growing new seeds," he said.
Corbin added: "It was also the first major crop grown on the International Space Station. Studying the effects of soybean plants grown in space has expanded our knowledge of soybeans and facilitated continued improvement of soybean seeds for farmers."
The soybeans returned to Earth in October last year aboard the Atlantis. DuPont subsidiary, Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., with the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WCSAR), a NASA commercial space center – launched the soybean seed experiment on the Space Shuttle Endeavor in June 2002.
As part of the research mission, Pioneer brand soybean seeds grew in a specialized tray within a growth chamber developed by WCSAR. Scientists monitored the soybeans’ growth daily and provided nutrient adjustments to facilitate growth.
Through video monitoring and data sent from the International Space Station, scientists also examined the effects of zero gravity and other elements in space regarding plant growth.
According to the US United Soybean Board, soybeans are the largest single source of protein meal and vegetable oil in the human diet. In 2000, 54 percent of the world’s soybean trade originated from the United States with soybean and product exports totaling more than $6.6 billion.
DuPont has a rich tradition of space exploration initiatives. For example, when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969, his spacesuit included 25 separate layers, 23 of which were DuPont materials.
In 1984, Pioneer brand corn seeds were on board a Challenger shuttle launch. The seeds, which were not planted while in space, were used in science-based initiatives after returning to Earth.
Pioneer Hi-Bred Philippines, a wholly owned subsidiary of lowa-based Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., a DuPont company, is the country’s leading producer and distributor of high-quality hybrid seed corn.
DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by solving problems and creating solutions that make people’s lives better, safer and easier. Operating in more than 70 countries, the company offers a wide range of products and services to varied markets, including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.