Accessibility

  • Change text size

    • Normal Text
    • Medium Text
    • Large Text

  • Contrast

    • Black&white
    • High
    • Normal

  • Display

    • Cursor White
    • Cursor Black
    • Highlighting
  •  

You are here

Home

"Plant-based life supporting systems are a strategic component in long space voyages and colonization of the moon and Mars, to produce oxygen and food. The main limitation of small ecosystems is the ability to stabilize them to prevent ecological failure. The long-term goal of the experiment is to use synthetic biology and optogenetics to directly control the plant’s intracellular pathways through light."
(from Rakia Mission website)

In February 2022, an experiment in which Haifa Group was a partner was launched to the International Space Station as part of the "Rakia" mission, aimed to test a system for growing chickpeas in space. and the Haifa Group was a partner in it. The experiment was conducted  by Dr. Jonathan Weintraub of Stanford University, the CEO and founder of Aviv Labs.

What is this trial about?
Running a synthetic biology trial to grow chickpea germ in a miniature greenhouse
When did it start?
The trial started during February 2022
Where it took place?
The trial was conducted on the International Space Station
Who lead this trial in space?
Eytan Stibbe, a former Israeli combat pilot, and the 1st tourist astronaut lead this experiment
The experiment examined the feasibility of growing chickpeas in space and the possibility of regulating the growth using of light of different wavelengths, with the aim of enabling control and monitoring of food growth during long space journeys, and when establishing colonies on planets such as Mars.
In the past, successful attempts have already been made to grow various plants in space. However, growing chickpeas is a breakthrough, due to the exceptional nutritional value of this crop. Growing chickpeas could also be used for oxygen circulation in space travel.

The experimental system included a growth chamber where chickpeas were germinated in a dedicated substrate enriched with a unique fertilizer formula developed by the Haifa Group. Haifa Group, a world leader in the field of agricultural crop nutrition, was chosen to take part in this experiment thanks to its proven ability to provide efficient and adapted fertilization solutions for different growing environments and growing conditions.
 
Hummus in space - it's possible!
The chickpeas in the experimental system germinated successfully and developed well, providing preliminary proof that it is possible to grow chickpeas in space. More research is needed to develop systems that will allow growing chickpeas in large quantities and over time, but the seed for this development has already germinated!
In the next step, a test of the durability of the experimental system during a prolonged stay in space is planned, and an experiment of growing chickpeas on of the moon is also planned.
 

Courtesy of Aviv Labs



The space scientists of the future
The space mission also incorporated an educational activity, with the aim of exposing teens to the field of space and the challenges involved in a human journey into space. As part of this activity, students in 250 schools throughout Israel conducted experiments that served as a check for the experiment on the space station.
Haifa Group took part in the educational project by providing the students with kits that included chickpeas and fertilizer-enriched growth substrate.