Beyond Earth: Why Scientists Are Sending Cannabis Seeds to the Extreme Radiation of Space

The cosmos is a harsh mistress, a vacuum punctuated by extremes of temperature and bombarded by relentless streams of energetic particles. For humanity to truly become a multi-planetary species, we must learn not only how to survive these conditions ourselves but also how to cultivate life that can sustain us. This quest for extraterrestrial agriculture is driving innovative research, pushing the boundaries of what we thought possible for plants growing beyond Earth. Among the diverse array of biological specimens being considered and tested for their resilience and utility in space, one plant stands out for its remarkable versatility and hardiness: Cannabis Sativa L.

In a pioneering mission set for June 23, hundreds of seeds, fungi, algae, and even human DNA samples embarked on a journey aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This payload included specimens that have never before experienced the unique environment of space. The mission, launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, aims to be the first to send plant tissues and seeds into a polar low Earth orbit and successfully return them. The primary objective is to study the profound effects of the high levels of radiation found in these specific orbital paths on biological systems. The insights gained from this experiment are expected to be invaluable, potentially paving the way for future spacefarers to cultivate crops on distant worlds like the Moon and Mars.

MayaSat-1: A Biological Incubator's Orbital Journey

The precious cargo for this mission is housed within a compact biological incubator known as MayaSat-1. This specialized device was developed by the Genoplant Research Institute, a Slovenian aerospace company dedicated to advancing space-based biological research. MayaSat-1, contained within a larger capsule, is designed to withstand the rigors of launch, orbit, and reentry.

The mission profile is particularly significant. At an altitude exceeding 500 kilometers, the incubator will traverse regions near the Earth's North and South poles. These polar zones are characterized by significantly higher concentrations of charged particles originating from the sun. This phenomenon occurs because the Earth's magnetic field, while protecting us from much of this radiation, funnels these particles towards the poles. As MayaSat-1 passes through these areas, it will be subjected to radiation levels up to 100 times greater than those experienced by objects orbiting at similar altitudes around the equator, such as the International Space Station (ISS).

The capsule is scheduled to complete three orbits of the Earth, with the entire mission lasting approximately three hours from launch to splashdown. Following reentry into the atmosphere, the capsule is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean. If the mission proceeds as planned, the MayaSat-1 incubator will be retrieved from a location situated roughly nine hours off the coast of Hawaii and subsequently transported back to Europe for detailed analysis. This recovery phase is critical, as the real scientific exploration begins once the samples are back in the lab.

The Martian Grow Project: Cannabis as a Space Crop

Among the various research participants contributing samples to this mission is Božidar Radišič, a key figure who will be closely monitoring the launch livestream from his office at the Research Nature Institute in Slovenia. Radišič leads the Martian Grow project, which is sending approximately 150 cannabis seeds into space aboard MayaSat-1. The project's goal is not a novelty act or a pursuit of cosmic intoxication, but a serious scientific endeavor to test the resilience of cannabis seeds and potentially observe accelerated evolutionary changes induced by the space environment.

Radišič has dedicated a significant portion of his career to studying the cannabis plant and firmly believes in its unique suitability for space agriculture. He highlights several characteristics that make it an ideal candidate for cultivation beyond Earth:

• Rapid Growth: Cannabis typically grows relatively quickly compared to many other crops.
• Adaptability: It has demonstrated an ability to thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions.
• Historical Agricultural Use: With thousands of years of cultivation history, humans have extensive knowledge of growing cannabis.
• Versatility: This is perhaps the most compelling reason. As Radišič explains, cannabis offers a multitude of potential uses that could be vital for sustaining life on other planets.

"Sooner or later, we will have lunar bases, and cannabis, with its versatility, is the ideal plant to supply those projects," Radišič told WIRED. He elaborated on the plant's potential contributions to future space settlements:

• Food Source: Seeds and other parts can provide nutrition and protein.
• Building Materials: Hemp fibers can be used to create durable construction materials.
• Textiles: Fibers can be spun into fabric for clothing and other uses.
• Hemp Products: A wide range of industrial products can be derived from hemp.
• Bioplastics: Cannabis can be processed into biodegradable plastics.
• Medicine: The plant produces numerous compounds with potential therapeutic benefits.

"I don’t think many other plants give us all these things," Radišič asserted, underscoring the plant's potential as a foundational crop for off-world colonies.

Resilience and Phytoremediation Potential

Beyond its diverse applications, Cannabis Sativa L. is recognized for its inherent resilience. The plant contains hundreds of different compounds, including the well-known cannabinoids THC and CBD, many of which are still being researched. This complex biochemistry may contribute to its ability to cope with various stressors. On Earth, cannabis is known to handle conditions like UV light and even radiation (such as gamma rays, sometimes used in cultivation) relatively well. Its historical growth across vastly different climates, from the high altitudes of Tibet to the humid jungles of Southeast Asia and the arid deserts of Afghanistan, further attests to its adaptability. Furthermore, it can be successfully cultivated in controlled indoor environments, a crucial factor for potential space habitats.

Gary Yates, a plant researcher and head of cultivation at Hilltop Leaf, a medical cannabis manufacturing facility in the UK, echoes Radišič's assessment. He agrees that the versatility and hardiness of cannabis make it a "leading contender" for a space crop. "Its hardiness makes it perfect for an extreme environment," Yates told WIRED. "It has shown great resilience and can grow in unexpected places." He also pointed out its relatively low water requirements and ability to thrive in low-nutrient soil, conditions that might be encountered on other celestial bodies. Yates also highlighted its demonstrated phytoremediation potential, meaning it can absorb and remove toxins and heavy metals from the soil, a property that could be invaluable for detoxifying regolith (planetary soil) on the Moon or Mars.

Space Radiation and Plant Genetics: The Core Research Question

While the versatility of cannabis is a strong argument for its selection, the primary scientific driver for sending seeds into polar orbit is to investigate the effects of space conditions, particularly radiation, on plant genetics. Previous research has already indicated that factors present in space, such as microgravity and radiation exposure, can influence the genetic makeup of plants. For Radišič and the Martian Grow team, understanding this interaction is paramount.

"The point is to explore how, and if, cosmic conditions affect cannabis genetics, and we may only find this out after several generations," Radišič explained. The high radiation environment of the polar orbit is specifically chosen to maximize the potential for observable changes.

D. Marshall Porterfield, a professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University with decades of experience studying plant growth in space, confirms that the impact of radiation exposure on biological materials during space flight is a "well understood" phenomenon based on prior studies. He elaborated on the mechanism: "It randomly causes mutations. Some of those mutations might turn up genes, they might turn down genes, they might knock out genes, they could disrupt whole signaling pathways." The consequence of this random genetic alteration is variability in the biological materials. This variability can potentially lead to the emergence of new, genetically stabilized mutations that scientists can then identify and study.

Radišič's project is not the first time researchers have considered the effects of space travel on cannabis. In 2019, a collaborative research team, including a group based at the University of Colorado Boulder, sent cannabis tissue cultures to the International Space Station. However, to date, no published results detailing the impact of cosmic radiation and microgravity on the cannabis plant from that experiment are widely available. This current mission, focusing on seeds and targeting a much higher radiation dose in polar orbit, represents a significant step forward in this specific area of research.

Beyond Low Earth Orbit: Preparing for Deep Space

Porterfield, who is also involved in NASA's LEAF mission—a lunar plant-growth experiment slated to travel to the moon with Artemis III in 2027—emphasizes that despite existing research, we still know "almost nothing" about the impact of radiation exposure on plants beyond low Earth orbit. The radiation environment in deep space, dominated by galactic cosmic radiation, is different and potentially more challenging than that encountered in LEO or even the polar orbits targeted by MayaSat-1.

"We’ve been trapped in lower orbit for the last 30 years and haven’t advanced a lot of the basic research that we need to go to deep space, where you find galactic cosmic radiation," Porterfield stated. He highlighted that this variable source of radiation in deep space could elicit "unexpected responses" from plants. Understanding how plants react to these varying radiation issues is deemed a "critical focus" for the LEAF mission and is essential for developing sustainable agricultural systems on the moon and eventually Mars.

The Martian Grow Study: Phases of Research

Once the MayaSat-1 incubator and its contents are successfully recovered, the Martian Grow project will enter its intensive research phase. For the next two years, Radišič and his team will collaborate with the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. Their initial focus will be on the seeds that have returned from space.

The first phase of their study involves breeding multiple generations of clones derived from the space-exposed seeds. This approach allows them to observe and analyze any genetic changes or plant adaptations that may have occurred due to the brief but intense exposure to cosmic radiation. A key area of investigation will be "alterations in cannabinoid profiles"—specifically, how the levels of compounds like CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids might be affected in the plants grown from these seeds compared to control groups that remained on Earth.

Following this initial analysis of the space-exposed generation and their clones, the project will move into its second phase. This stage will involve simulating Martian soil conditions and attempting to grow plants in controlled low-gravity environments here on Earth. This step is crucial for understanding the combined effects of altered gravity and potentially modified plant genetics on growth and development in a simulated Martian setting.

Lumír Ondřej Hanuš, a distinguished chemist who has studied the cannabis plant since the 1970s and serves as a research adviser on the Martian Grow project, sees "many possibilities" for scientific investigation once the seeds are back on Earth. Beyond potential genetic and epigenetic changes (changes in gene expression not caused by alterations in the DNA sequence itself), the team will meticulously examine a range of structural and physiological characteristics. These include:

• Differences in leaf size and shape.
• Changes in chlorophyll content, which affects photosynthesis.
• Alterations in root architecture and development.
• Variations in photosynthetic rates.
• Efficiency of water use.

Furthermore, they plan to expose the plants to various stressors, such as diseases, to assess any changes in resilience. They will also analyze the activity of enzyme hormones and secondary metabolites. This detailed biochemical analysis could potentially lead to the identification of entirely new compounds or altered concentrations of known compounds within the cannabis plant.

Radišič emphasized the importance of the research regardless of the specific outcomes. "Whether there are changes or not, both results will be important for the future, so we know how to grow cannabis in the space environment," he stated. Even if no significant changes are observed, that data point is valuable for understanding the plant's stability in such conditions. If changes *are* observed, it opens up avenues for potentially selecting or breeding strains better suited for space or identifying novel properties.

Challenges and Future Prospects for Space Cultivation

While the potential of cannabis as a space crop is exciting, the reality is that actually growing any plant on Mars or the Moon is still a distant goal. The conditions on these celestial bodies present formidable challenges. Microgravity (or reduced gravity), extreme temperature fluctuations, the lack of readily available nutrients in the regolith, and the presence of toxins in the soil do not create favorable conditions for cultivation.

Petra Knaus, the CEO of Genoplant, acknowledges these difficulties. "We will have to adapt to the environment on Mars, and slowly adapt our plants for them to survive," she said. For the foreseeable future, she believes that growing plants will likely only be possible within "a closed system container with the conditions adapted." These controlled environments would mitigate the harsh external conditions, providing plants with the necessary atmosphere, temperature, light, water, and nutrients.

Looking ahead, Genoplant is actively developing a new space capsule specifically designed for this purpose. This next-generation capsule aims to enable researchers to grow seeds in space for extended periods, potentially several years, and monitor their development in situ. The first reentry test for this advanced capsule is currently scheduled for 2027, representing the next step in developing the infrastructure needed for long-duration space agriculture experiments.

Dispelling Stigma and Advancing Scientific Acceptance

Back on Earth, despite its potential as a "supercrop" for the space age, cannabis remains largely perceived through the lens of recreational use, even though its medicinal applications are increasingly recognized. This predominant perception has historically created barriers, preventing regulators and researchers from fully embracing and acknowledging the plant's broader scientific potential.

Lumír Ondřej Hanuš is optimistic that the findings from the Martian Grow project, whatever they reveal, could play a significant role in dispelling some of this stigma and accelerating the scientific acceptance of cannabis. By demonstrating its relevance to cutting-edge space research and highlighting its potential utility for humanity's expansion beyond Earth, the project could shift public and scientific perception.

"If interesting results are published, it could speed up our understanding of cannabis," Hanuš commented. He firmly believes that cannabis is a "very important plant" with a "big future" if humanity successfully establishes life on another planet. The journey of these seeds to the edge of space is more than just an experiment in radiation biology; it is a step towards unlocking the full potential of a plant that might one day help us thrive among the stars.