China’s space station now has insects, weeds and rice on board

INSECTS, weeds and rice are growing on the Chinese space station, and could pave the way for future food sources for astronauts.
China’s Tiangong-2 space station launched on 15 September, and two astronauts have been living there since mid-October. The station includes experiments growing thale cress – an edible weed – and rice in microgravity. Chinese news sources are reporting that the cress has flowered and some of the rice plants are 10 centimetres tall.

The station also hosts an experiment designed by Hong Kong middle school students involving six silkworms, which previous studies have suggested could be protein sources for long space journeys. Five of the silkworms have spun cocoons.
When the astronauts return to Earth, which is expected around 18 November, they will bring cress samples back with them. The rice experiment will continue for several months.

This is not the first time we’ve grown food in space – astronauts on the International Space Station ate lettuce grown in orbit. But the Tiangong-2 experiment lets scientists on Earth control the incubator environment remotely.