In 2004, ESA grew rocket seeds on the ISS with André Kuipers; after four days, dark-grown seedlings were taller and yellow, while lit ones stayed smaller and green

In 2004, a simple school project flew all the way to space. Dutch astronaut André Kuipers carried rocket seeds to the International Space Station as part of Europe's DELTA mission. Simultaneously, thousands of schoolchildren grew seeds similar to those in their classrooms. This project was called “Seeds in Space” by the European Space Agency, and its purpose was pretty simple: to find out if plants grow due to light or gravity. Four days later, the results were clear.

A science project with thousands of young helpers