On Tuesday 19th April 2016 Beavers and Cubs at Kelso Scout Group became space biologists and embarked on a voyage of discovery by sowing seeds that have been into space.
In September, 2kg of rocket seeds were flown to the International Space Station (ISS) on Soyuz 44S where they have spent several months in microgravity before returning to Earth in March 2016. The seeds have been sent as part of Rocket Science, an educational project launched by the Royal Horticultural Society Campaign for School Gardening and the UK Space Agency.
Kelso Scout Group are participating along with up to 10,000 schools and has received a packet of 100 seeds from space, which they are growing alongside seeds that haven’t been to space and measure the differences over seven weeks. We won’t know which seed packet contains which seeds until all results have been collected by the RHS Campaign for School Gardening and analysed by professional biostatisticians.
Beavers at Kelso Scout Group planting seeds from space
The out-of-this-world, nationwide science experiment will enable the Beavers and Cubs to think more about how we could preserve human life on another planet in the future, what astronauts need to survive long-term missions in space and the difficulties surrounding growing fresh food in challenging climates.
Elizabeth McIntosh, Group Scout Leader for Kelso said “We are very excited to be taking part in Rocket Science. This experiment is a fantastic way of teaching our Beavers and Cubs to think more scientifically and is also part of their Space badge.”
Congratulations to the Beavers and Cubs at Kelso Scout Group!
Rocket Science is just one educational project from a programme developed by the UK Space Agency to celebrate British ESA astronaut Tim Peake’s Principia mission to the ISS and inspire young people to look at subjects in science and horticulture.