Hydroponically Grown Chickpeas for ‘Space Hummus’

Israeli chickpeas are currently in the process of being transported to the International Space Station to participate in a series of tests aimed at determining whether or not it is possible to cultivate plants in space.

The chickpea seeds are of an Israeli kind called “Zehavit,” and they are being sent into space from the confines of a miniature greenhouse that was constructed by Strauss Aviv Labs, which is a manufacturer of hummus. On February 19, it will be delivered to the International Space Station as part of a commercial resupply services mission aboard the cargo spacecraft Cygnus.

They are going there to take part in a project dubbed “Space Hummus,” which will test hydroponic techniques for plant growth in zero gravity. The objective of the research is to maximize production and allow for effective management of resources on future space colonies on Mars and the Moon.

Studies will be carried out by scientists to determine the degree of success that can be achieved in managing plant growth. These experiments will involve remotely viewing and manipulating root growth using video and still photos. Eytan Stibbe, the second Israeli to travel to space, will help carry out some of the experiments as part of the mission.

Yonatan Winetraub, the cofounder of SpaceIL and the experiment’s visionary, warns that they cannot let the plants to “grow wild” in future colonies since the colonies will swiftly deplete their available resources. “Our hope is to use our technology to control the rate of chickpea growth in space with zero gravity and limited resources.”

There is no evidence to suggest that chickpeas can thrive in space. Winetraub notes that this has never been attempted before.

“The challenge is not just how to grow as many chickpeas as possible, but how to control the way they are grown – so that we maximize our limited resources. ” The more we get an understanding of how to cultivate food with fewer resources, the more prepared we will be for the difficulties that lie ahead of us here on Earth.

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