STEM project launches rooibos seeds to Space Station

The “Rooibos in Space” initiative will see indigenous South African rooibos seeds sent to the International Space Station, where they will be exposed to microgravity and space radiation before being returned to Earth for comparative planting.

It will be the first time an indigenous South African seed is sent into space.

The project is coordinated by Max IQ Space, which has been taking students into space-related STEM projects since 2014, in partnership with the South African Rooibos Council.

Seven schools from the Cederberg, where rooibos is grown, will participate alongside Parklands College in Cape Town by collecting and sharing data during the project.

Max IQ Space co-founder Judi Sandrock says the project focuses on schools in the rooibos-growing region while also involving a school experienced in space STEM programmes.

Sandrock says, “We really wanted to focus on the schools where rooibos grows in the Cederberg: there’s actually 27 schools in the district. We had 7 schools that applied, so we took them all: we’d budgeted for 5, but it was like, ‘we’re not turning anyone away’ and the 8th school is Parklands College, because they are our Africa Centre of Excellence for Space STEM projects…”

“Parklands is well outside where rooibos should grow: they will grow their seeds indoors, because if we’re going to be growing them in space, they’re gonna have to be grown indoors, in an artificial environment, so a lot is going to be learnt through this whole process,” Sandrock adds.

South African Rooibos Council spokesperson Adele du Toit says the initiative is intended to encourage learners to pursue careers in science and technology while contributing to agricultural research.

Du Toit says, “Many reasons, but the main reason is to inspire young learners to follow careers in science, technology, education, innovation and just to think bigger things and to ask bigger questions in the science environment. We want to see how the seeds react in that area, in that environment where it’s going into – space. It’s for more future development, it’s part of a larger research process where we are seeing, how we can really much along, in the future how crops can grow in outer space, if that is a need, that we’d follow, some time in the future.”

Western Cape Education Department Deputy Director-General Bertram Loriston says the project will help learners develop research and analytical skills.

Loriston says, “The schools were selected to be part of this project where they’re actually going to be doing different sections of the project and then putting all the information and data together. So there are a lot of skills that are required of them to actually do this: critical thinking, analysis and then communication and those are the reasons why I think the teachers actually participated in this. And also because the rooibos is regional in the Cederberg area and that is for us very important that it becomes localised, that people can see that their heritage can actually become part of science and technology.”

Learners participating in the project are also looking forward to seeing the outcome.

Grade 7 learner at PW De Bruin Primêre Skool, Autumn Schalk, says, “Because it’s tasty, everyone likes it: it has a lot of flavour. It’s incredible, I like it: you can send a plane to space, like: we want to see how it comes out. I think it will look the same, like it looks like on Planet Earth!”

The rooibos seeds are scheduled to be sent to the International Space Station in October aboard a resupply mission carrying food and other supplies for astronauts.