A professor at the University of Florida is set to become the first ever academic funded by NASA to do their own experiment in space.
Dr. Robert Ferl is the director of UF's Astraeus Space Institute. His experiment will determine how plants change and adapt on a genetic level during different stages of flight. Although scientists know how plants respond to living on space crafts like the International Space Station, less is known about how plants change as they travel to space. The experiment is thought to help support longer-term missions to the moon and Mars.
Ferl and his research partner, Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul, were the first scientists to grow plants in lunar soil.
Ferl will fly into sub-orbital space on Blue Origin's New Shepard Rocket. He'll be part of a six-person crew. The whole flight is expected to last about 15 minutes. The launch is scheduled to take place near Van Horn, Texas at 9am Thursday morning.
The rocket's launch will be live streamed at the UF Reitz Union as part of a watch party, starting at 8:30am.
