This is the conclusion drawn after British experts observed that 2 kg of lettuce seeds have been going through 6 months since "escorting" astronaut Tim Peake of the European Space Agency (ESA) in The mission on the ISS began in 2015.

During the process on the ISS, the number of particles forced to absorb radiation is 100 times more than at ground level, not to mention the horrific shaking environment on ships traveling to and from the ISS station.

When returned to Earth in 2016, the seeds were planted and monitored by 600,000 students across the UK, before tracking the progress of the same seed group that remained on the ground.

The results show that while seeds in space grow more slowly and age faster, they can still grow, according to experts from the Royal Horticultural Society.

That means that if they find a way to protect the seeds on their journey to other planets, like Mars , astronauts can grow food to their own needs, according to a report in the journal. Life.

The researchers say the radiation content in Mars missions must be at least five times that of ISS.

The author of the study, Dr. Jake Chandler, said that in order to maintain the quality of seeds on long trips, it is necessary to protect them from the harmful effects of cosmic radiation and put them on the lips. stable field before the mechanical vibration of the spacecraft.