They are based in Nantes, Toulouse, Paris but also in Montreal. For several months, they have been united around a project called Eklo, born from the merger of two winning projects in the Generation ISS competition. These design, biology and business students had the crazy idea of ​​sending flowers to the International Space Station. Loaded into a supply freighter that left the United States on August 12, the vegetable capsule was delivered to French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, along with provisions and eleven other experiments to be carried out. "A capsule specially designed for culture in zero gravity, so that Thomas Pesquet can garden, observe nature and smell odors 400 km from the Earth", explain the 12 students behind this project.

For this gardening in space, the project leaders have chosen a carnation.

“A robust flower, not too big, with color and which does not require a lot of water.

Ideal for the experience, ”Nantes students explained to Ouest-France.

The astronaut's mission will be to water the plant using a syringe in this capsule simulating the optimal conditions for the growth of a plant in zero gravity.

The absence of light will be compensated by LED lighting.

As for the earth, which could have contaminated the International Space Station, it was replaced by a substrate, made from coconut fiber and nutrients.

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The objective is multiple.

It will first be necessary to see if the plant is happy in these artificial conditions recreated in space.

The experiment, which is due to start this Thursday, also aims to stimulate the sense of smell of the team in orbit, almost deprived of this sense during their stay aboard the station.

Does smell change in weightlessness?

Response in October, to the return of Thomas Pesquet to Earth.

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  • Gardening

  • Student

  • Planet

  • Flowers

  • Toulouse

  • Plants

  • Nantes

  • Thomas Pesquet

  • Astronaut

  • ISS