In order to make this mission a success, the institute noted that Crew-11 was carrying the world's first cultural crop payload to the International Space Station (ISS).
SETI Institute
The Maldives is celebrating a major milestone as mangrove seeds from two different Maldivian islands have made a historic journey to space as part of a global research mission.
In their press, the SETI institute revealed that the organisation is contributing to a new kind of space exploration which will focus on cultural and scientific experiments. In order to make this mission a success, the institute noted that Crew-11 was carrying the world's first cultural crop payload to the International Space Station (ISS).
The initiative is part of Jaguar Space’s Space for Agriculture and Agriculture for Space program, in collaboration with The Karman Project, whose mission is to enable international cooperation and peace in space through unconventional global coalitions.
The Maldives has gotten the amazing opportunity to contribute to this mission, as mangrove seeds from Kulhudhuffushi City and Noonu Kendhikulhudhoo were delivered by the Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO). In addition to the Maldives, several other countries participated in this initiative.
The SETI Institute Affiliate, filmmaker and SETI Institute Designer of Experiences, who was selected to act as one of the principal investigators on this world-first mission, contributed pomgerate seeds to represent her Armenian heritage.
Preparing tiny pomegranate seeds and watching them leave the Earth is a profound sequence of events. A small seed represents how all positive change – and science – begins. Not only will this project inspire, but the resulting science could influence our interpretation of astrobiology and how we prepare for a space-faring future.
Additionally, cotton seeds were contributed by Egypt, egusi melon from Nigeria, and wheat from Pakistan were also contributed for this mission.
