Off-Nominal Space Plant Experiments (GotG38)

We all know that spaceflight is tricky, and after 18 months of hearing about some amazing astrobotany successes, in this episode, Emma the Space Gardener looks into some space plant experiments that didn’t quite go according to plan. An astrobotanical blooper reel, if you like. 

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Hello, and welcome to episode 38 of Gardeners of the Galaxy, the podcast for all of the sentient beings in the Universe who have a passion for plants. I’m Emma the Space Gardener, and I will be your host as we explore gardening on Earth… and beyond! 

Over the course of the last 18 months, Gardeners of the Galaxy has heard from scientists working on how to grow plants in space or on other planets. We’ve heard about the challenges they and the plants face, and the hard work and ingenuity that’s created some amazing successes, from adding to our fundamental understanding of how plants work to allowing astronauts to nibble on fresh radishes and chillies. But as every gardener here on Earth will testify, things don’t always go according to plan. And so I thought that, for this episode, it would be fun to hear some stories of off-nominal plant experiments, when things have gone wrong. An astrobotanical blooper reel, if you like. 

Before we get to that, I’d like to say thank you to my Patreon supporters, for their continued support for the show. From just £1 a month, you can join our community of space gardeners, and help me keep the astrobotany anecdotes flowing.  

And now, if you’ll join me in the time machine, we’ll start with a quick trip back to 2015, when the entire British nation was eagerly waiting for the moment that Tim Peake would blast into space.  

In May