– Our experiment concentrates on using laser light to stimulate growth of seedlings in microgravity conditions – says Yelyzaveta Leshchenko, GrowLight team leader. – Studies on the impact of various laser wavelengths on plant morphology and seedling survival rate aim at development of plan cultivation technology in space – she explains. 

Results of the project L(aser) A(mplitude) S(timulated) P(lant) A(griculture) – LASPA will widen the knowledge on growth conditions in microgravity, opening up new perspectives for future manned space missions, where a self-sufficient system of plant growth will play a key role.

The competition Direction: Space, organised by the New Space Foundation and Foundation Experience and Knowledge, was addressed to students and doctoral students of Polish universities. Their task was to develop a research project which could be conducted at the International Space Station.

Winners of the competition were awarded mentoring, a microgrant of the value of PLN 26 000 to develop a prototype of the experiment and the opportunity to develop the project concept during a study visit to the European Organisation for Nuclear Research CERN, European Space Research and Technology Centre ESA ESTEC and the European Astronaut Centre ESA EAC. Their experiments have a chance of going to space on the International Space Station during an ESA mission which Sławosz Uznański, a project astronaut, will take part in.

The team GrowLight consists mainly of members of the Student Research Group of Photonic Engineering: Yelyzaveta Leshchenko, BSc, Paweł Rukat – students of the Faculty of Mechatronics, Filip Łabaj, MSc – doctoral student of the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology, Karolina Joachimczyk, MSc – student of the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology and an invited expert in botany – Katharina Hanke, BA, from the Faculty of Biology of Warsaw University.  

You can follow the work of the team in social media: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.