Why scientists are sending hundreds of Texas grape seeds to the ISS

3 min readUpdated: Jun 23, 2026 07:06 PM IST

Scientists will then compare the two groups, looking at differences in growth, vine, and wine grape performance and genetics between the seeds that travelled to space and those that never left. (File Photo)

Hundreds of grape seeds from Texas are heading to the International Space Station, where they will spend around six months exposed to cosmic radiation before returning to Earth to be planted. Later, scientists will study the effect of space on them.

The experiment is part of the Texas A&M/Aegis Aerospace Multi-Use Space Platform Integrating Research and Innovative Technology, or TAMU-SPIRIT, a research mission designed to serve as a “satellite campus in space” that will host several experiments.

Once the grape seeds leave the Earth’s atmosphere, cosmic radiation can trigger genetic mutations. Researchers say the study will help them understand whether exposure to the harsh conditions of space can produce traits that make crops more resilient and adaptable, with potential applications for agriculture both on Earth and during future space missions.

The carrier built by Coby Arnold and Arvind Subramanyam from the team will shield the seeds from harmful radiation levels that could damage them or stop them from sprouting, while still allowing the kind of controlled exposure that researchers want to study.

Accordingly, once the seeds return to Earth, they will be planted alongside identical seeds that stayed on the ground the entire time. Scientists will then compare the two groups, looking at differences in growth, vine, and wine grape performance and genetics between the seeds that travelled to space and those that never left.

The returned seeds will be planted at Texas A&M’s Thomas Ranch vineyard alongside control seeds that remained on Earth, allowing researchers to track any changes linked to their time in space.

“The research will help us understand how different levels of radiation impact the seeds and their varietal genetic expression once we grow them,” said Texas A&M viticulture specialist Justin Scheiner. “But there is also the novelty that in several years we will potentially be bottling wine from seeds that left Earth,” he added.

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There are three grape varieties selected for the mission. They were chosen for their disease resistance and adaptation to the soil and water conditions of Texas vineyards.

One of the varieties selected for the mission is Lomanto, a grape developed by pioneering Texas viticulturist TV Munson in 1902. Known for its disease and drought resistance, the variety played a role in efforts to combat the phylloxera crisis that devastated European vineyards in the late nineteenth century. Scheiner called this new space mission a “full circle” moment for the historic vine.

(This article has been curated by Paramita Datta, who is an intern with The Indian Express)

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