SpaceX Commercial Resupply 13 was originally slated for December 4th, 2017. The launch was scrubbed for unspecified reasons but is set to take off tomorrow, on December 12th, 2017. There is a lot of valuable cargo going up on this mission, and some of them are plants. Let’s take a look at the plants going up to the International Space Station.

Arabidopsis thaliana

The model research organism Arabidopsis thaliana is set to fly into space yet again, with samples from at least three different laboratories going up.

The Gilroy Lab (University of Wisconsin-Madison) – is sending A. thaliana (CAX2) hypoxia mutants and RBOHD oxidative stress mutants are being sent to profile mutant response to spaceflight.

Space Plants (University of Florida) – is sending A. thaliana up as part of a CASIS payload.

The Wolverton Lab (Ohio Wesleyan) – is sending A. thaliana as part of a NASA experiment studying plant gravitropism (gravity perception).

Carrot

Carrot is being sent up on CRS-13 as part of an Italian ESA educational experiment on root tropism and root response.

Barley Seeds

Budweiser is sending 20 barley seeds up on CRS-13 to learn more about brewing cold ones in space.

Good luck to everyone involved in the launch tomorrow. Let’s grow plants in space.