Trans. JSASS Aerospace Tech. JapanVol. 12, No. ists29, pp. Tp_1-Tp_5, 2014

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Copyright© 2014 by the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences and ISTS. All rights reserved.

Space Seeds for Asian Future

By Muneo TAKAOKI1), Sachiko YANO1), Naomi MATHERS2), Fenny DWIVANY3), Rizkita ESYANTI3),Thomas DJAMALUDDIN4), Mhd Fairos ASILLAM5), Farahana KAMARUDIN5), Mohammed Selamat MADOM6),

Sawat TANTIPHANWADI7), Nguyen Vu GIANG8) and Kibo-ABC*

1)Kibo Utilization Office for Asia, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba, Japan 2)Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

3)School of Life Science and Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia 4)Space Science Center, Institute of Aeronautics and Space, Bandung, Indonesia

5)National Space Agency, Banting Selangor, Malaysia 6)Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Serdang Selangor, Malaysia

7) National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand 8)Space Technology Institute, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam

(Received June 24th, 2013)

The “Space Seeds for Asian Future (SSAF)” program is one of the activities of the “Kibo-ABC” initiative under the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF). The program intends to promote understanding, and to give regional space agencies experience in the utilization of the Japanese Experiment Module, “Kibo”, of the International Space Station (ISS). It also aims to provide young people in the Asia-Pacific region with opportunities to learn about leading edge sciences through their participations in experiments under peculiar space conditions, including microgravity. Students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam participated in the SSAF2010-2011 program. As part of this program seeds from each of these nations were flown to the ISS and kept in the Kibo Module. These seeds were then returned to Earth where they were germinated and compared to control seed not flown in space. This experiment involved researchers, students and the general public. In the SSAF2013 program, there are plans to cultivate seeds indigenous to Asia in the Kibo/ISS facilities. The plan is to send Azuki bean (Vigna angularis) to Kibo, and observe the growth of their seedlings under dark conditions. Members of the Kibo-ABC initiative are collaborating in the preparation of the seed germination testing procedures, following which many people, including children, students and researchers, are expected to participate in the program.

Key Words: Education, Microgravity, Plant, Asia-Pacific

1. Introduction

A working group of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) has been working to help the Asia-Pacific region make the best use of the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" of the International Space Station (ISS), in line with the Space Policy of Japan (1). The Space Environment Utilization Working Group (SEU WG) initiated its activity at the 12th session of APRSAF in 2005 to develop cooperative space experiment plans by space agencies in the region (2). As the first step toward full-scale scientific operations in space, simpler missions were planned for member organizations to accumulate their experiences in carrying out space environment utilization missions. The working group found “space seeds” to be a suitable subject because it also supports science education for young students and promotes public understanding of space environment utilization in the region.

This successful outcome prompted SEU WG to agree at the 18th session of APRSAF in 2011 to establish Kibo-ABC*, a new collaboration program functioning as a framework to achieve the above objectives. This featured the utilization of "Kibo" within Asia with heightened and enhanced cooperation,

based on a study of the activities previously performed by the Asian "Kibo" Mission Planning task force and clarification of their implementation and related activities.

This paper aims to make a record of the first collaborative space environment utilization program developed by space agencies in the Asia-Pacific region.

2. SSAF2010-2011

As the first step, the space agencies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam developed a plan to send their seeds to Kibo. These were then be retrieved several months later and utilized for local programs such as education and outreach activities. Seeds of various plants, such as tomato from Indonesia, chili from Malaysia and Thailand, some flowering plants from Vietnam, were launched to the ISS by HTV2 and returned by the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-134/ULF6). The retrieved seeds were then sent back to the respective country of origin as reported previously (3).

A temperature logger and a passive radiation dosimeter were set in the seed package to monitor the environmental conditions during flight. The temperature was kept constant between 22 C and 24 C in orbit, but occasionally fluctuated

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during transportation (Fig.1). The total dose equivalent of space radiation exposure was 70.6 5.4 mSv at the rate of 0.54 0.04 mSv/day (4). The levels of temperature fluctuation and radiation exposure were too low to induce significant changes in the germination rate of Impatiens balsamina seeds. (data not shown).

A total of nearly two thousand students from four countries participated in the first program, SSAF2010-2011. The program gave the students a valuable opportunity to nurture "space seeds" returned from Kibo with their own hands. Local programs are summarized below: 2.1. Indonesia National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) and

Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) worked together to promote the program. The space-flown tomato seeds, together with ground control and clino-rotated ones, were distributed to secondary school (junior high schools) students to observe their growth (Fig.2).

The space flown Impatiens balsamina L. seeds, together with ground control and clino-rotated seeds, were distributed to secondary schools (senior high schools) students to observe their growth during L’Oreal Girls Science Camp (Fig.3). These seeds were surface sterilized by submerging them in a 70% alcohol in water solution for 24 hours. Afterwards, the seeds were placed on cotton under dark conditions for germination. All groups of seedlings (from about 15 seeds)

was grown following the same procedure. After the seeds had successfully germinated, the seedlings were grown under light conditions. About 90-100% seeds successfully germinated. After 10 days observation, the epicotyl of the control seeds were observed to grow upright, while that on the 3D-clinostat was observed to bend with no certain direction. The epicotyl growth of space the seeds had the most bending and did not have any orientation. 2.2. Malaysia National Space Agency (ANGKASA) established a local committee to conduct this program which is comprised of Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Department of Agriculture (DOA). Fig 4 shows a scene from an official event.

Fig. 4. Minister of Science and Technology Innovation awards students.

Malaysia selected 100 grams of Capsicum annum ‘MC11’ seeds to be sent to the ISS. The seeds were prepared by local researchers at MARDI. Malaysia had a fruitful new experience involving in this program.

After the seeds arrived back in Malaysia in June 2011, the local authority, DOA quarantined some of the seeds in their quarantine site. This was to make sure the seeds were safe before distributing them to schools.

Fig. 5. Malaysian students with their plants they nurtured from the seeds from space in SSAF 2010-2011 program.

A national committee agreed to conduct the Malaysia Space Seed Programme Competition, open to all secondary students in Malaysia from April until August 2012. Nine hundred

Fig. 2. Indonesian students with their plants they nurtured from the tomato seeds from space in SSAF 2010-2011 program, during space day in LAPAN collaboration with ITB and JAXA.

Fig 3. Students observed Impatiens balsamina growth during L’Oreal Girls Science Camp.

Fig. 1. Temperature profiles of flight and ground seeds.

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young researchers in Malaysia had gain new experience in conducting the space science experiments especially in microgravity experiments (Fig. 5). This program had develop their interest and skill in scientific space experiments and research and it helps to promote the microgravity science and space awareness in Malaysia.2.3. Thailand Before participation in the space environment utilization activities with JAXA, Thailand had never been involved in research under microgravity environment. In December 2012, Thailand conducted its sixth experiment on the JAXA parabolic flight program. Now every year many Thai university students look forward to participating in this program. The students that were fortunate enough to conduct their parabolic flights, gained international perspective and went on to improve their academic results. Many of them went abroad including to Japan for further study.

At this early stage of the project it is difficult to measure any effects on Thai economy and technology. The greatest benefits are in the education field. The students learn to develop, build, test and fly the experiment within a short timeframe which is an important hand-on experience that they can not obtain from Thai universities. With this practical experience it is not difficult to understand why these students had no problems getting employment and enrollment in prestigious universities aboard after their graduation. The parabolic flight experiment program is continuing to work successfully in Thailand. Each year NSTDA receives an increasing number of proposals from exceptional university students.

Fig. 6. Thai students with their plants they nurtured from the seeds from space in SSAF 2010-2011 program.

The space seeds program was broadcasted nationwide on TV and presented by the Minister of MOST last year. The impact of the first broadcast was reduced because of the floods in Bangkok. When the NSTDA presented the program at the annual science week more than a million visitors attended. Many students received the space seeds but only a few sent back the reports (Fig. 6). We expect a better response next time on the Azuki in SSAF2013 bean since this was the first space seeds program for Thailand.

Thailand has intention to conduct experiment on Kibo but researchers are reluctant to participate. They all think that the experiment is very difficult and hard to justify. It may be easier for them to utilize JAXA on-board equipment to conduct their experiment rather than building their own.

Due to major floods in Thailand, we had to wait until the flood subsided before distributing the seeds to the students on January 11, 2012. Seventeen schools received the seeds from

the hands of the Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology at the Siam City Hotel in Bangkok. The event was held by NSTDA and there were many dignitaries in attendance, including the JAXA representative in Thailand and news reporters. Both the Minister and the NSTDA director wore astronaut jumpsuits specially designed for this event. Approximately 100 people attended the event and more than 20 news stories were published.2.4. Vietnam

Space Technology Institute (STI) – Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) participates in this program as a good opportunity and see it as good luck for a young institute that is pioneering the field of space technology in Vietnam. The SSAF program was launched in Vietnam in June 2010. The local activity plan in Vietnam was performed and organized by Space Technology Institute and Tay Nguyen Institute of Biology. The program received the special assistance of Dr. Duong Tan Nhut at the Tay Nguyen Institute of Biology in Dalat, Vietnam and was coordinated with related agencies and collaborators (Fig. 7).

Fig. 7. Vietnamese students with their plants they nurtured from the space-flown seeds in SSAF 2010-2011 program.

Through collaboration and implementation of the SSAF program, researchers who participated, were given opportunities to work, study and learn from the experiences of the participating countries. Vietnam sent three different kinds of flower seeds with the scientific name: Impatiens balsamina, Antirrhinum majus, and Salvia splendens to the ISS to study the characteristics of the flower seeds under the influence of the space environment on color, shape, size of the flower, etc. Since then researchers have considered the possibility of mutation of the flowers.

Vietnam participated in this program to develop skills in scientific space research for researchers and students, and to promote and publicize the space utilization activity for younger students in some schools and universities in Vietnam. Students will learn how to conduct a scientific experiment and may be inspired to pursue further education in the fields of science and technology.

3. SSAF2013

In the SSAF 2013, the very early phase of plant growth will be observed in space, while the seeds were simply flown to ISS and brought back to the ground in the previous SSAF2010-2011 mission. There will be no sample recovery,

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partly due to the termination of the Space Shuttle program. The number of plant species to be flown is also limited to only one. No recovery of the space-flown seeds could make the program less exciting, and demands the need for certain measure to motivate the student arises. Thus, SSAF-2013 emphasizes ground-based programs rather than in orbit events. The main topic is the “plant gravitropism”. By exploring

this topic, students learn the importance of gravity for terrestrial life forms. The participating space agencies, in collaboration with schools and other educational organizations, are expected to enforce nation-wide education programs. Students will grow their plants under various conditions, including one similar to space but with gravity. Students can compare their own plants with the image down linked from space, and realize the merit of space experiments and the contribution of gravity to their daily life. The experimental conditions for the students may also include a clinostat, a device to disperse gravity direction by turning over the plants, and a centrifuge to give hypergravity conditions.

Fig. 8. Azuki bean seeds (left) and seedlings grown under dark for 7 days on the ground (right, courtesy of Dr. Kouichi Soga of Osaka City University).

3.1. Plant sample The plant seed selected for the SSAF2013 is a specific

cultivar of Azuki bean (Vigna angularis Ohwi et Ohashi ‘Erimo-shozu’) (Fig. 8).

Although the original home of Azuki bean is East Asia, it is quite popular also in Southeast Asian countries today. Beans are more convenient to handle than the smaller seeds of other plants and are suitable to be used as biology education materials in classrooms. It is also easy to observe amyloplasts, subcellular organelles which function as gravity sensor, of the seedling.

Azuki bean is also extensively used for scientific research on plant gravity perception mechanisms. The genus Vigna contains many species, subspecies, varieties and cultivars as important farm products. Some beans of different species look alike each other, while considerable variations are seen within the same species. 3.2. Onboard procedure

Seeds of Azuki bean are placed on a dry rock wool bed fitted at the bottom of a clear plastic box. The box is then put into an opaque bag, and the bag is transported to the ISS with a syringe filled with water. The bag is closed again and kept in Kibo module attached to an appropriate location with Velcro.

Seven days later, the flight crew will open the bag to make observations and video the results. The crew will turn the box around in front of the video camera in Kibo module, so that students on the ground can observe the space seedlings as if they are right in front of them. The video is down linked to be distributed to the students in the Asia-Pacific region. The sample is then discarded and the in orbit operation is complete. 3.3. Domestic programs

One of the main purposes of this mission is education and outreach to promote understanding in space biology among people in Asia-Pacific region. Students will learn how the seedlings of Azuki bean, Vigna angularis, grow in a microgravity environment. They are to nurture their own seedlings on the ground and observe their shape, then compare with the downlinked image of space grown bean seedling to find how plants respond to gravity. It will be preferable for students to make preparations and try some pilot observations well before the operation in space.

Thousands of students from the region including Australia, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and, Vietnam are expected to actively participate in this program. Moreover, the information on the SSAF2013 including video from space are open to the public, so that any individual, group, school or educational organizations all over the world can participate in the program. 3.4. Scientific and educational significance

Besides the well known gravitropism, in which shoot grow upward while roots extend downward, plants respond to the gravity in various ways. Living organisms on the earth are thought to modify their shape to adjust the gravitational environment from their inherent plan. When the gravity is removed, some organisms may express their inherent shape, which is called automorphogenesis. The automorphogenesis of Azuki bean, is expected to be observable, when grown under dark and microgravity condition for 5 to 7 days, as suggested from preliminary experiments using 3D clinostat (5).

Observations have been made with Arabidopsis hypocotyls and rice coleoptiles, in which the tissues become thinner and longer and the cell wall is softer in space than on the ground (6). The question is if such gravity dependent morphogenesis is also observed in space with Azuki bean?

4. Conclusion and Outlook

SSAF is a program for building capacity via joint missions to demonstrate the utilization of Kibo among Kibo-ABC members; allowing them to experience and learn the necessary preparatory works and implement and optimally exploit the outcome of completed activities, toward future missions utilizing Kibo.

Simple plant experiments in space are effective for promoting space environment utilization. On the ground, an individual plant biologist is able to conduct an excellent research project. A successful space environment utilization mission, however, requires sophisticated coordination among many specialists of various seemingly unrelated disciplines.

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Through experiencing space environment utilization missions, no matter how simple they are, we can make ourselves proficient in space sciences but also in industrial big project. In SSAF2013, operations on the ground only require video images sent from space. This means that any individual or organization all over the world can participate in the program without asking permission. People can grow their own plants in parallel to the space operation and compare the plants in space and on the ground and feel the space environment in reality.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Mr. Yoichi Hasegawa for his excellent coordination among participating organizations in SSAF2010-2011. Precious advice on SSAF2013 by Dr. Kouichi Soga of Osaka City University is greatly appreciated.

References

1) Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy: “Basic Plan for Space Policy –Wisdom of Japan Moves Space” June 2, 2009.

2) Takaoki, M., Umemura, S. and Tanaka, T.: How the Utilization of ISS and its Japanese Experiment Module, “Kibo” will Facilitate Technological Advances. 26th ISTS 2008-o-2-04v (2008).

3) Takaoki, M., Fujimoto, N., Ogawa, S., Yamamoto, M., Fujimori, Y., Nagai, N., Miyazaki, K., Kamigaichi, S.: Kibo Utilization Cooperation with Asian countries. 28th ISTS 2011-h-20 (2010).

4) PADLES database: http://idb.exst.jaxa.jp/db_data/padles/S001.php?locale=ja

5) Hoson, T., Kamisaka, S., Buchen, B., Sievers, A., Yamashita, M., Masuda, Y.: Automorphogenesis of Plant Seedlings under Simulated Microgravity on a 3-D Clinostat,. Biol. Sci. Space, 7(1993), pp 107-110.

6) Hoson, T., Soga, K.: New Aspects of Gravity Responses in Plant Cells, Int. Rev. Cytology, 229 (2003), pp 209-244.

*Kibo-ABC officials: Naomi Mathers, Roger Franzen (ANU, Australia), Clara Yono Yatini, Agus Hidayat (LAPAN, Indonesia), Mohd Helmy Hashim, Mhd Fairos Asilllam (ANGKASA) Yoshimi Osada, Yoshiya Fukuda (JAXA, Japan), Youn-Kyu Kim, Chang-Ho Im (KARI, Korea), Mark Mackay, Haritina Mogosanu (KiwiSpace, New Zealand), Rogel Mari Sese (DOST-SEI, Philippines), Kritsachai Somsaman, Paritat Theanthong (NSTDA, Thailand), Nguyen Vu Giang, Doan Minh Chung (VAST/STI, Vietnam) http://www.aprsaf.org/initiatives/kibo_abc/