From earth to orbit, Pakistani wheat seeds heads to space

Lahore: Preparations are underway to make a new milestone in Pakistan’s agricultural sector, as wheat seeds from Pakistan will be sent into space for experimental purposes in collaboration with NASA.

This initiative marks a significant achievement for Pakistan, one of only four countries in the world to undertake such a project. The move is expected to bring revolutionary changes in the country’s agricultural productivity, as well as open new possibilities for improving crop quality and understanding the effects of climate on agriculture.

According to details, Mähd Nayyer, a Pakistani space engineer currently pursuing a PhD in the United States, is part of an important project that involves sending Pakistani wheat seeds into space to be experimented on in a microgravity environment. Previously, such experiments were conducted only on the Chinese space station, but now Pakistan is preparing to conduct its first such experiment on the International Space Station.

Mähd states that experiments on wheat seeds in space are expected to yield revolutionary results concerning crop yield, quality, and resistance to climatic effects on Earth. He explained that this project is made possible through collaboration between ‘Jaguarspace’ and ‘The Carman Project,’ which aim to provide research opportunities for young scientists in space.

The experiment is being prepared in cooperation with NASA and will soon see the seeds launched from NASA’s launch pad to the International Space Station.

Mähd, along with his colleague Muhammad Haroon, a researcher at Purdue University in the United States specializing in astrodynamics and space applications, is actively involved in studying satellite movements and space traffic management in low Earth orbit.