Nasa astronauts have brought back seeds from the cold desert of Ladakh that spent just over a week aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The seeds of seabuckthorn and Himalayan buckwheat, two nutrient-rich crops native to Ladakh, returned to Earth aboard the Crew-10 mission, which splashed down on August 9.
The seeds were part of the “Emerging Space Nations’ Space for Agriculture & Agriculture for Space” experiment, a collaborative initiative that explores how plants endure the unique stresses of space, including microgravity, radiation, and extreme temperature fluctuations.
The payload was carried to the ISS with Nasa’s Crew-11 mission earlier this year.
Known for their exceptional nutritional and medicinal properties, seabuckthorn and Himalayan buckwheat are key components of Ladakh’s agricultural heritage. Both species thrive in one of the harshest climates on Earth, making them ideal candidates for testing resilience in space environments.
“This is the first-ever batch of seeds flown from Ladakh to space, symbolising resilient foods for cold, adverse environments,” said Siddharth Pandey, Director of Protoplanet, which collaborated on the experiment. “Part of them will be sent for scientific analysis by our researchers, while the rest will be gifted to the people of Ladakh to inspire coming generations. It also paves the way for quick access to space and the return of samples from India via our partnership with Jaguar. As a symbolic gesture for public awareness and inspiration, we will gift some seeds to the UT Ladakh government.”
Scientists hope that studying their genetic and metabolic responses to space exposure will reveal traits that could be harnessed for sustainable food production during long-duration space missions, and potentially enhance crop performance on Earth.
“The cold desert varieties from Ladakh already survive extreme conditions on our planet. By sending them to space, we push their resilience limits even further,” said a scientist associated with the experiment. “What we learn could help us grow food in places where it’s currently impossible, whether that’s on Mars or in arid regions here on Earth.”
Following their return, the seeds will undergo rigorous laboratory analysis to detect any genetic mutations, structural changes, or metabolic shifts triggered by the orbital environment.
These findings could open doors to developing hardier crops that can withstand climate change-related stresses such as drought, poor soil quality, and temperature extremes.
The experiment also represents a significant step for India in the global space-agriculture arena, showcasing Ladakh’s role in pioneering research with international implications.
For now, the tiny seeds carry within them the potential to unlock big answers, not just for feeding astronauts in deep space, but for securing food supplies in some of the most challenging environments on Earth.
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