Sunday, July 06, 2008

By RICK MYERS
Staff Reporter

LYMAN - Now the analysis and speculation begins for a half dozen students at Wheatland School District south of here.

The class of Susan Stevens has participated in the NASA Lunar Plant Growth project, building growth chambers to compare how cinnamon basil seeds that flew in space compare with those that remained on earth.

Tuesday was repotting day, as the basil plants that remained on earth were repotted and will be sent home with the students. The few space seeds that grew will be placed in a terrarium and monitored until the end of the year.

But the differences between the two plants were quite noticeable, at least in the eyes of the students.
"The space seeds don't grow the best on earth," said third-grader Luke Terrell, who was able to successfully raise both kinds of basil.

The project was the result of NASA's project on STS-118, in which mission specialist Barbara Morgan carried millions of basil seeds on board space shuttle Endeavour. Seeds that Morgan carried joined 3 million other seeds that were on the International Space Station for a year. When the seeds were returned to earth they were packaged and sent out to schools that wanted to participate in the Lunar Plant Growth Chamber challenge.

Initially there were only 14 schools scattered around the country that chose to participate in the project, and Wheatland School was probably the smallest.

Each of the six students created lunar growth chambers, and Stevens photographed each project and forwarded it on to the regional Challenger Center, where final approval was given to participate in the project.

Phases of the project exposed the students to carpentry, electronics and core components of education as they learned to follow directions, provide analysis and have a bit of fun at the same time.

While the growth of the space basil plants was underwhelming, the students said they enjoyed the project.
There was even a surprise when a cantaloupe emerged from the compost the students were using.

When the basil was first planted, the students were surprised that the seed flown in space was identical to that from the earthbound variety. There had been speculation that it might have changed color.

But, as the basil plants began to emerge, several of the students noted that the seed flown in space was not growing at the same rate as the earthbound basil.

"I think the seeds got use to space and not use to earth," Terrell said.

"Maybe there was bacteria in the air or something in space," London Huper said.
"They might catch up with each other," Terrell said.

Terrell, who said he is interested in plants and plans to garden this summer with his mother, described the earthbound basil as having a stronger stem and said the leaves were different looking.

"It was just neat to think that these seeds flew in space," Terrell said.

Stevens, who said she would be teaching in Morrill next year because the Wheatland attendance center is closing its doors at the end of this semester, said she might do a similar NASA growth project again.