By Admin 
Plants In Space: The idea of growing plants in space may sound like science fiction but it has already become a scientific fact. However, how long a plant can remain green in space depends entirely on where and how it is kept. A plant that is directly exposed to outer space will dry out almost immediately. But if kept in a controlled environment like the International Space Station, plants can survive for months.
What happens to plants in open space
If a plant is kept in the open vacuum of space without any protection, it cannot survive. In such a situation the surrounding air pressure becomes zero. Because of this, the water inside the plant cells starts boiling rapidly. This process is called ebullism. After this, the plant dries up or dies within a few seconds to a few minutes.
plant survival inside space station
The situation inside a space station like the International Space Station is completely different. Here earth like conditions are created artificially. Temperature, air pressure, oxygen, carbon dioxide, light and water are carefully controlled. In such a case, plants behave in the same way as they do on earth. Using NASA’s Veggie Plant Growth System, astronauts have successfully grown flowers, leafy vegetables and even fruit plants. Zinnia flowers grown on the space station lived for about 60 to 90 days. With this, lettuce and radish completed their growth cycle normally.
Why does zero gravity make it difficult for plants to grow?
One of the biggest challenges for plants in space is the absence of gravity. On Earth, gravity pulls water down towards the roots. Water keeps floating in space in the form of bubbles. If not managed properly, the roots do not get enough oxygen and can die from suffocation. Due to this, the plant dries up quickly or dies.
Along with this, the level of radiation in space is much higher than on Earth. This is because there is no protective environment there. This radiation can damage the DNA of the plant. This slows down the growth of the plant and in some cases the plant dries up earlier than expected. At the same time, hot air on the earth rises and fresh air takes its place. But this does not happen in space. Without proper air circulation, oxygen can accumulate around the leaves of plants. Due to this, the plant is not able to expel carbon dioxide efficiently.
Also read: Why submarine does not sink due to its own weight, know the science behind it