The Economic Times

In 2004, ESA grew rocket seeds on the ISS with Andr Kuipers; after four days, dark-grown seedlings were taller and yellow, while lit ones stayed smaller and green

A 2004 space project involving astronaut Andre Kuipers and schoolchildren explored plant growth factors. Thousands of students participated, comparing classroom results with those from the International Space Station. Plants in darkness grew tall and yellow, while those in light were greener and shorter. This experiment demonstrated light and gravity's importance for plant directional growth. The findings now inform future space missions and astronaut food production strategies.