Student-selected food plants launched to Space Station

Friday was an historic day for Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden as two of the four new varieties of plants headed to the International Space Station (ISS) were selected by middle and high school students through experiments coordinated by Fairchild.

SpaceX CRS-15 launched early Friday morning, carrying several science experiments including seeds for testing in NASA's Veggie growth chamber. Two of the plant varieties, 'Dragoon' lettuce and 'Extra Dwarf' pak choi, were chosen based on the results of Fairchild's Growing Beyond Earth classroom science program. Today's launch represents three years of intensive research by Fairchild and more than 15,000 students.

"This spectacular pre-dawn launch of SpaceX CRS-15 carried seeds of edible plants selected by South Florida students involved in our Growing Beyond Earth program," said Carl Lewis, Ph.D., Director of Fairchild Garden. "Extra dwarf pak choi and dragoon lettuce performed well in classroom experiments. Now we'll see how well they grow on the International Space Station."

Fairchild's partnership with NASA has engaged thousands of middle and high school students with the space program and taught them science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills. The students constructed and used a plant growth system that approximates conditions found in the Veggie growth chambers on the ISS. They followed research protocols to measure and record data on plant growth, which astronauts will put to the ultimate test in space.

"I feel like I had a one-of-a-kind opportunity to contribute to this mission," said Daniela Gonzalez, an 11th grade student at BioTECH Richmond Heights 9-12, Miami, "It's incredible to think that our work is seriously helping the space program!"

About Growing Beyond Earth
Growing Beyond Earth is Fairchild's classroom science project, designed in partnership with NASA Kennedy Space Center, to advance research on growing plants aboard spacecraft. As NASA looks toward a long term human presence beyond Earth orbit, there are specific STEM challenges related to food production. Fairchild's project is addressing those challenges by expanding the diversity and quality of edible plants that can be grown in space. Growing Beyond Earth is now underway in 120 Miami-Dade middle and high schools with a special focus on under resourced, Title 1 schools. Beginning in 2018, 30 pilot sites have been established outside Miami-Dade, in other Florida locations and in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Puerto Rico. Growing Beyond Earth is based upon work supported by NASA under Award Number NNX16AM32G. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material 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 dedicated to exploring, explaining and conserving the world of tropical plants. The world-renowned plant collections feature unusual plants from throughout the tropical world. Fairchild has the largest botanical education program of any metropolitan area, 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 Botanic Garden

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