SpaceX planning to send cannabis, coffee to space in March 2020

Elon Musk's aero company, X has collaborated with a Colorado research lab to send cannabis and coffee up to International Station in March. craft manufacturing company will be sending for a scientific experiment to test plants in a zero-gravity environment. An agricultural biotech company, Front Range Biosciences that grows genetically consistent hemp and coffee varieties have teamed up with University of Colorado and a tech start-up called Cells for project.

About 480 plant cell cultures will be sent into aboard X CRS-20 cargo flight which is set for March 2020. y will be n shifted to station where y will be stored in a special incubator with regulated temperature for around 30 days.

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Astromers on ground to monitor

A group of astromers and crew stationed on ground will keep a vigil on cells before y are brought back to earth a month later. After return of cells, Front Range Biosciences will furr study samples to check how microgravity and radiation exposure may have changed plants' gene expression. Co-Founder and CEO of Front Range Biosciences, Dr Jonathan Vaught said that this will be first time that someone is researching effects of microgravity and flight on hemp and coffee cell cultures. He added that plants in experience mutations. He furr added that it is an opportunity to check wher those mutations remain once brought back to earth.

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VP of research and development at Front Range, Louis Stodieck said that y are excited to study more about hemp and coffee gene expression in microgravity and how it will inform ir breeding programs. Director of BioServe Techlogies at University of Colorado, Louis Stodieck said that in near future y are planning for crew to harvest and preserve plants at different points in ir grow-cycle so that y can determine which metabolic pathways are turned on and turned off.

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