werty316
07-25-2006, 03:04 AM
The Shijian-8 will be China's first seed breeding satellite
The Chinese space program is scheduled to launch a satellite that is designed for breeding plant seeds. Shijian-8, expected to launch in September, will be launched from Jiuquan launch center on top of a Long March 2C rocket. Although nine Chinese spacecrafts have carried seeds into space, the China National Space Administration has not yet launched a satellite designed specifically to carry seeds. According to officials in the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National defense, the Shijian-8 will have a 15-day mission.
The Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense is managing the Shijian-8 project. The design and construction of the satellite is under the control of the China Aerospace Science Group Company. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for developing the plant seeds.
Over 2,000 different plant seeds in nine different categories will be carried on the Shijian-8 -- including cash crops, fungi forage plans and a selection of molecular biomaterials China hopes that seeds bred in space will be able to cultivate plants with higher quality and higher yield. Research has shown that some seeds exposed to conditions such as microgravity and cosmic radiation can mutate seeds much better than if they are grown on Earth in a traditional manner. Vitamin and mineral content of fruits and vegetables that were grown in space are up to 281.5 percent of ordinary vegetables, according to research conducted by Chinese scientists.
China also has plans to launch up to nine additional satellites into space before the end of the year.
Article Source: http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3473
The Chinese space program is scheduled to launch a satellite that is designed for breeding plant seeds. Shijian-8, expected to launch in September, will be launched from Jiuquan launch center on top of a Long March 2C rocket. Although nine Chinese spacecrafts have carried seeds into space, the China National Space Administration has not yet launched a satellite designed specifically to carry seeds. According to officials in the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National defense, the Shijian-8 will have a 15-day mission.
The Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense is managing the Shijian-8 project. The design and construction of the satellite is under the control of the China Aerospace Science Group Company. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for developing the plant seeds.
Over 2,000 different plant seeds in nine different categories will be carried on the Shijian-8 -- including cash crops, fungi forage plans and a selection of molecular biomaterials China hopes that seeds bred in space will be able to cultivate plants with higher quality and higher yield. Research has shown that some seeds exposed to conditions such as microgravity and cosmic radiation can mutate seeds much better than if they are grown on Earth in a traditional manner. Vitamin and mineral content of fruits and vegetables that were grown in space are up to 281.5 percent of ordinary vegetables, according to research conducted by Chinese scientists.
China also has plans to launch up to nine additional satellites into space before the end of the year.
Article Source: http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3473