The Azuki bean will be grown IN COMPLETE DARKNESS and WEIGHTLESSNESS from seed for 7 days onboard “Kibo" inside the International Space Station.
Astronauts will film the sprouting of Azuki beans grown in space and transmit the images to Earth.
- Azuki beans, Vigna angularis cv. Erimowase, are implanted into a rockwool block under dry conditions and sent to ISS.
- Once in orbit, the rockwool is wetted with water so that the beans will start germinate. The seeds are put inside an opaque bag and kept inside the Kibo module.
- Seven days (TBD) later, the bag is opened and the growth and the shape of seedlings are observed. Video images are taken and downlinked.
- Downlinked video images are distributed to participating students.
- If extra crew operations are possible, astronauts can pick some sprouts out and touch them to examine its stiffness and other physical properties, i.e. gravity resistance.
Observation Detail – and Results
Prep | Preparation of seed for the space trip |
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Launch | Launch to the ISS (4 Aug 2013) The fourth H-II Transfer Vehicle, or HTV4, also known as KOUNOTORI4, was successfully launched aboard an H-IIB launch vehicle from JAXA’s Tanegashima Space Center at 4:48 am on August 4, 2013. KOUNOTORI4, which delivers supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), docked with the ISS on August 10. (All times are Japan Standard Time, UTC +9 hrs.) |
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Day 0 | Watering (31 Aug 2013) - Take out SSAF plant cassette.
- Connect water syringes to watering ports and slowly inject to wet rock wool.
- Put the seeds into a lightproof bag and keep it at room temperature.
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Day 1 | (Stored in darkness) |
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Day 2 | (Stored in darkness) |
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Day 3 | (Stored in darkness) |
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Day 4 | Growth Check (4 Sep 2013) - Retrieve the plant cassette from the large lightproof bag.
- Observe the growth of Azuki beans. (Record by video camera.)
- Insert the plant cassette bacl into the large lightproof bag.
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Day 5 | (Stored in darkness) |
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Day 6 | (Stored in darkness) |
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Day 7 | Final Observations (6 or 7 Sep 2013 – TBC) Dragging: - Pick one sprout from the plant cassette.
- Hold both ends of the sprout by both hands, and hook it to the spring balance.
- Slowly pull the both ends of the sprout until it breaks.
Swinging: - Hold the bottom end of sprout (bean), and swing the sprout several times.
- Hold the top end of sprout, and swing the sprout several times.
Bending: - Hold the bottom end of sprout (bean), and swing the sprout several times.
- Breaks? Or forms a Kink?
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