PUPILS have become “space biologists” after growing seeds which were sent into space.
Devonshire Hill Primary School, in White Hart Lane, took part in Rocket Science, an educational project launched by the Royal Horticultural Society Campaign for School Gardening and the UK Space Agency.
More than two kilograms of seeds were flown to the International Space Station on the Soyuz spacecraft in September, where they spent months in microgravity before returning to Earth in March.
The school received a packet of 100 seeds from space, which the children are now growing.
Seeds which were not sent have also been planted and the differences in growth will be measured over several weeks.
The pupils will not know which packet contains which seeds until all the results have been collected by the RHS Campaign for School Gardening and analysed by professional biostatisticians.
The aim of the experiment is to teach the children about how human life can be preserved on another planet in the future.
They have also learned how astronauts are able to survive long-term missions in space despite the difficulties in growing fresh food in the climates of another world.
To follow the project, visit: @RHSSchools
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