Astronematode, predatory worms in space: GotG6

Join Emma the Space Gardener as she explores gardening on Earth… and beyond! In this episode, Emma finds out which plant experiments are on their way to the International Space Station and talks to the people behind the Astronematode mission that sent predatory worms into space!

To find out more about the plant experiments on their way to the ISS, read my Plants in Space: NG-14 blog.

Dr Fatma Kaplan and Cameron Schiller from Pheronym talked about Astronematode, the first biological pest control experiment in space.

Show patrons can access an extended episode via Patreon, and learn about space gardener Kalpana Chalwa.

Gardeners of the Galaxy: Episode 6 script

Hello and welcome to episode six of Gardeners of the Galaxy, a podcast for all of the sentient beings in the Universe who have a passion for plants. I am Emma the Space Gardener, and I will be your host as we explore gardening on Earth… and beyond!

Coming up later in this episode we’ve got a fascinating interview with the people behind the Astronematode mission, which sent tiny predatory worms into space.

Before we get to that, the exciting space news this week is that in the early hours of Saturday morning (for me, late evening Friday local time), Northrop Grumman launched a Cygnus resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station. NG-14 is due to dock with the ISS today, and it has some exciting plant experiments in its payload.

For space gardeners, the most exciting part of the payload is a radish experiment! The Plant Habitat-02 experiment aims to grow two sets of radishes in the Advanced Plant Habitat (or APH), which is larger than the Veggie growing system. Radishes are an ideal candidate because of their quick growth, and the experiment will explore how