22 Jun Rocket Science!
The eco team have been taking part in a project run by the Royal Horticultural Society and the UK Space Agency. The project, Rocket Science, aimed to give our pupils the chance to learn how science in space contributes to our knowledge of life on earth, using the invaluable expertise of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the RHS Science team.
In September 2015, 2kg of rocket seeds were flown to the International Space Station on Soyuz 44S. The seeds were held in microgravity for 6 months with British ESA astronaut Tim Peake taking charge of them while on the ISS for his Principia mission starting in December.
The seeds were returned to earth in April 2016 and Ulidia was one of 10,000 schools to receive 100 seeds from space. These were then grown alongside seeds that have not been to space to see if there are any differences in growth. No one at Ulidia was informed which seeds have been to space and which have remained on Earth.
The team planted the two packets of rocket, one blue packet and one red packet, back in April. The team kept a careful watch over the seeds as they germinated and grew.
The red seeds grew faster and had a higher proportion which germinated. The red seeds grew taller and lived longer.
The team came to the conclusion that the blue packet must have contained the seeds which have been to space, with the thinking that being in space has altered the structure of the seeds which made the plants smaller, and weaker.
We await the official results from Tim Peake at the end of June!
