Blue Origin Mission by Jeff Bezos took in the luggage of sweet potato plants and chickpeas seeds; The goal is to understand how these plants grow outside the earth and develop more resistant cultivars
The mission to space only with women, including the American singer, held this Monday (14.abr.2025), took in her luggage sweet potato plants and seeds of the chief grain (Brazilian Agricultural Research Company). The flight was made by the company of Jeff Bezos (from Amazon).
In (full – PDF – 599 KB), Embrapa stated that the goal is to understand how these plants grow outside the earth and develop more resistant, nutritious and adapted to extreme environments. Scientists will analyze the material with the return of the mission.
The initiative is part of actions of the partnership between Embrapa and the (Brazilian space agency) that brings together 56 researchers from 22 institutions and studies food production in environments outside the land, with high radiation and low gravity.
Brazilian participation on the Blue Origin flight was invited by (Winston-Salem State University), North Carolina (USA).
According to the company, the sweet potato Beauregard and Covington and the chickpeas BRS Aleppo, developed by Brazilian scientists in Embrapa’s genetic improvement programs, were chosen because “Gave agronomic and nutritional advantages, when considering the technological and scientific challenges of cultivating plants in space”.
“They are adaptable and resilient, fast -growing and easy management species that can develop well under adverse conditions, even with the minimum input input throughout the production cycle.”
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Flight only with women
Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission only with women had its successful launch and landing this Monday (14.abr). The New Shepard ship took off from the LSO (Launch Site One) release base in Texas (USA) at 10:30 am (Brasília time).
Landed at 10:42 am (Brasília time) after exceeding the Karmán line, 100 km from the earth’s surface (conventional, non -physical limit), which defines the beginning of the space, but without orbit
6 women participated in the experience:
- Katy Perry, American singer;
- Lauren Sánchez, girlfriend of Jeff Bezos, owner of Blue Origin and Amazon;
- Aisha Bowe, Aerospace Engineer and CEO of Stemboard;
- Amanda Nguyễn, Astronaut and founder of Rise;
- Gayle King, CBS journalist;
- Kerianne Flynn, film producer.
Read more about Blue Origin flight:
