Space-flown Choctaw Nation seeds to be planted on Earth for STEM experiment

Flat plastic ziplock baggies filled with various seeds float in front of a window on a spacecraft, looking down at the blue surface of Earth.

Seeds flown to space last year will be planted on Earth this spring as part of a cultural and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) study.

Five varieties of heirloom seeds from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma — including Isito (Choctaw Sweet Potato Squash), Tobi (Smith Peas), Tanchi Tohbi (Flour Corn), Tvnishi (Lambsquarter), and Chukfi Peas — were flown to the International Space Station (ISS) in November 2023.