Abu Dhabi Startup Aims for Space to Cultivate Crops Amid Climate Crisis

Dubai, UAE - Ekhbary News Agency

Quinoa Seeds Embark on a Journey to Space

In a pioneering move to combat the escalating challenges of climate change and its growing impact on global food security, Abu Dhabi-based startup "StarLab Oasis" has announced ambitious plans to send plant seeds, including quinoa, into outer space. This initiative is part of broader efforts to find innovative solutions beyond Earth, as climate crises increasingly threaten traditional agriculture.

Developing Resilient Strains Through Space Environment

The company, an extension of Texas-based Nanoracks, aims to leverage the unique conditions of space, such as microgravity and cosmic radiation, to develop new plant varieties that are more capable of thriving in challenging environments on Earth. The first batch of seeds is expected to be sent in 2023. In space, plants face challenges like difficulty in determining growth direction due to the absence of gravity, along with exposure to cosmic radiation, which can induce genetic mutations.

Benefits of Space-Based Mutagenesis

These mutations can yield new plant strains with enhanced resilience and productivity, such as crops resistant to drought and capable of growing in saline soil. Allen Herbert, co-founder of "StarLab Oasis," explained that these experiments directly contribute to sustainability, climate change mitigation, and food security on Earth. Herbert added that space, with its limited resources, energy, and area, serves as an ideal environment for research whose technologies can then be brought back to Earth.

History and Techniques of Mutagenesis

The practice of "mutagenesis," which involves exposing species to chemicals or radiation, dates back to the 1920s on Earth. Its application in outer space began in the 1960s. China successfully sent seeds into space starting in the 1980s, leading its farmers to develop new crop varieties. In 2022, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization sent seeds into space for the first time to develop climate-resilient crops.

Commercial Vision and Strategic Partnerships

"StarLab Oasis" aspires to be among the first companies to commercialize this process. The company plans to collaborate with other businesses, space agencies, universities, and non-profit organizations to send seeds into space for research or commercial purposes. Current partners include the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture in Dubai, aiming to enhance the salt and drought tolerance of crops like quinoa. Initially, the company will send seeds to the International Space Station (ISS), with a long-term goal of dispatching them to a commercial space station called "Starlab" by 2027.

Government Support and Future Ambitions

Founded in 2021, "StarLab Oasis" currently has five employees, with expansion plans for the coming year. The company is supported by the UAE's Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) as part of a $41 million program to boost food production in arid environments, crucial for a nation that imports up to 90% of its food. Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Shamsi, Acting Director General of ADIO, described the project as "highly ambitious and exciting," enabling access to the scientific potential of space for developing agricultural technologies for a resource-limited world. The company's ambitions extend beyond food production in space, aiming to design extraterrestrial systems capable of producing food for long-duration space missions, such as journeys to the Moon and Mars.