Seeds in Space: A Microgravity Agriculture Experiment

Overview

One of the greatest challenges of human space exploration — whether to the Moon, Mars, or beyond — will be learning how to grow food far from Earth. This project investigated how different gravity conditions affect the germination and early growth of garden cress (Lepidium sativum). To simulate microgravity on Earth, I built and programmed an Arduino clinostat — a rotating device assembled from a servo motor and breadboard circuit. I grew seeds in agar-filled petri dishes under three conditions: constant gravity (the control), gravity rotated 90 degrees after 24 hours, and simulated microgravity with the clinostat spinning at 10 rpm. The experiment ran for 48 hours. The constant gravity plants germinated fully and grew straight up and down as expected. The rotated plants also germinated successfully and grew in an "L" shape. The microgravity plants surprised me the most — only 4 out of 9 seeds germinated, the seedlings were significantly weaker, they grew in random directions, and they died very soon after the experiment ended. My hypothesis was only partially correct. I predicted growth directions would vary, but I did not expect such a low germination rate or how weak the microgravity plants would be. These results suggest that microgravity negatively impacts plant survival and development — findings which could demonstrate some of the challenges of growing food outside of Earth's gravity.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Plant Biology (Junior Division) · Entry J-18-20

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