Chinese scientists will cultivate two generations of rice in Earth orbit

Published at: 01/06/2026 03:45 PM

For the first time, a team of specialists from China will begin two rice cultivation cycles at the Tiangong orbital station, since the Shenzhou-23 ship arrived with its crew and enabled the start of the experiment.

The researchers will sow plants from seeds until harvest and then use the grains obtained for a second cycle, so that they can analyze how microgravity influences the growth, development and adaptation of the crop, in addition to observing possible genetic variations.

The closest precedent occurred in 2022 when the Taikonauts managed to complete a rice cycle from planting to harvest, although the process was limited to a single phase.

The new project incorporates a greater level of complexity and will allow us to obtain more data on the behavior of plants under spatial conditions.

Mazo News Team