For the first time, a flower has bloomed in the zero gravity environment of space, according to The Independent. U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly announced the historic news that a zinnia plant had flowered on the International Space Station (ISS) via his Twitter account, along with a photograph of an orange, 13-petalled flower.
The news comes shortly after Kelly tweeted photos of zinnias with curled and moldy leaves, indicating that the plants were stressed and suffering from flooded roots, according to The Verge, claiming that they weren't doing well and "would be a problem [for a human colony] on Mars."
First ever flower grown in space makes its debut! #SpaceFlower #zinnia #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/2uGYvwtLKr
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 16, 2016
The zinnia flowers were chosen to be grown on the International Space Station (ISS) due to their potential to help scientists uncover the mysteries of how plants can flower and grow in microgravity conditions.
Although the high humidity and low airflow on the ISS makes the survival of the zinnias low, the new picture brings a glimmer of hope to the project, according to the Daily Express.
"While the plants haven't grown perfectly, I think we have gained a lot from this, and we are learning both more about plants and fluids and also how better to operate between ground and station," said Gioia Massa, NASA's team leader for the project, known as Veggie. "Regardless of the final flowering outcome we will have gained a lot."
