Cotton In Space? ISS Experiments To Optimize Fiber Growth On Earth

Space makes an excellent hub for testing scientific theories and conducting a wide range of experiments. We have already sent human sperm and Budweiser barley seeds to the International Space Station (ISS) and now, the next thing flying towards orbit will be cotton! In a bid to optimize cotton farming on Earth, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the organization managing ISS' U.S. National Lab under NASA's authority, will be sending three sophisticated cotton projects to the space station. These experiments, selected through a competition called the Cotton Sustainability Challenge, will primarily focus on improving cotton production without using as much water as currently required. As part of the effort, each of the three projects will get in-orbit access to the U.S. National Laboratory and hardware implementation assistance to go ahead with the main mission.