In a groundbreaking achievement, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has revealed Nigeria’s involvement in NASA ‘s Crew-11 Mission, which is set to take off today from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA.
Aboard the mission are six native Nigerian crop seeds, including okra, cowpea, sorghum (guinea corn), amaranth, maize, and melon, selected for their agricultural and nutritional importance.
As per NASRDA, “The mission, featuring the World Seeds Payload, is an innovative international agricultural study spearheaded by Jaguar Space, with input from 11 nations, Nigeria included.
“The seeds will be examined on the International Space Station (ISS) under microgravity circumstances to investigate their behavior, resilience, and potential for future farming in space, crucial research focused on tackling climate resilience, global food security, and agricultural advancement beyond Earth.
“Representing Nigeria at the launch is Olayinka Fagbemiro, NASRDA’s Assistant Director of International Cooperation and Linkages, and the project head for this initiative.
“She managed every aspect of Nigeria’s participation, from selecting the seeds to ensuring logistics and formal international collaboration.
“This marks our inaugural biological payload on a crewed NASA mission to the ISS.”