China Unveils Rice Grown on Space Station... "Expecting Self-Sufficiency"

[Image source=Chinese Academy of Sciences]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] China has announced that it is successfully conducting rice cultivation experiments on the space station 'Tiangong,' which is currently in the final stages of construction. The plan is to continue experiments aiming for self-sufficiency in outer space.

According to China Daily on the 30th, China began rice paddy cultivation experiments on the 29th of the same month in the laboratory module 'Wentian,' which was launched on the 24th as part of the space station construction work.

Researcher Zheng Huichong from the Chinese Academy of Sciences stated, "The rice has grown to about 30 cm, and the dwarf variety called 'Xiaowei' (矮性稻, rice shorter than normal rice) has grown to 5 to 6 cm."

Researcher Zheng added, "By completing the cultivation experiment covering the entire life cycle of rice under the weak gravity conditions of outer space for the first time in the world, we hope to identify important environmental factors for rice cultivation and further interpret the effects of microgravity on the growth and development of rice."

China Daily predicted that this research could provide important insights into whether astronauts can directly cultivate food during long-term missions in outer space.

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