First ever flower grown in space makes its debut! #SpaceFlower #zinnia #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/2uGYvwtLKr
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 16, 2016
The first flower has finally been grown in space aboard the ISS (International Space Station). The image of the first Zinnia flower was shared by the immensely popular NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly on his Twitter account. Kelly has been aboard since March 2015 and has been sharing several images of the earth from space.
Yes, there are other life forms in space! #SpaceFlower #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/BJFWvQXmBB
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 16, 2016
As per NASA, Zinnias were not chosen to be the first flower because of its beauty, but it was to help understand the growth of the plant and its flowers in microgravity.
On December 27, Kelly had posted a picture of not so good looking zinnia plants.
Our plants aren't looking too good. Would be a problem on Mars. I'm going to have to channel my inner Mark Watney. pic.twitter.com/m30bwCKA3w
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) December 27, 2015
Ten days letter the astronaut shared another image of healthy looking zinnia plants.
Some of my space flowers are on the rebound! No longer looking sad! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/HJzXaTItIf
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 8, 2016
Plants like wheat and lettuce have been grown in space before, but this is the first time that a flower bloomed. This discovery paves the way for the growth of tomatoes and other such plants in space. This proves that growing fresh produce on space is not a dream anymore.
To grow these plants, bags of seeds are put in trays of water in a type of calcined clay that is usually used on baseball fields. Furthermore, these growing plants are lit by LED lights and fertilized through an automatic release.
Featured Image Credit: Scott Kelly Twitter