Space Seeds for Asian Future (SSAF)
SSAF, simple plant experiment program, intends to promote understanding and gain experience regarding the utilization of Kibo.
Young researchers and students in the Asia-Pacific region can learn about space experiments or the space environment.
The “Space Seeds for Asian Future” program is one of the activities under the “Kibo-ABC” initiative of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF), intended to promote understanding and gain experience regarding the utilization of Kibo. This program also aims to provide students and young researchers in the Asia-Pacific region with an opportunity to learn about space experiments or the space environment including orbital microgravity.
Well over one thousand students from four Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam) participated in the previous program (“Space Seeds for Asian Future 2010-2011”), which gave them a valuable opportunity to grow “space seeds” retuned from the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) called Kibo on the International Space Station (ISS).
In the “Space Seeds for Asian Future 2013” program, there are plans to cultivate indigenous seeds of Asia in Kibo/ISS. Members of the “Kibo-ABC” initiative will collaborate in the preparation, following which many people including children, students and researchers, are expected to participate in the program. Participants can cultivate their own seeds on the ground and join events organized by Kibo-ABC members that include simultaneous control experiments on the ground. We therefore welcome and encourage your participations.
Asian Herb in Space (AHiS) is the third project of the SSAF to be conducted in 2020-2021. Please refer to the following.
Asian Herb in Space (The third project of the Space Seeds for Asian Future)
Development Agency of Thailand (NSTDA)
Asian Herb in Space (AHiS) is an activity of the Asian Beneficial Collaboration through Kibo Utilization initiative (Kibo-ABC) under the Space Environment Utilization Working Group (SEUWG) of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF). AHiS is the third project of the Space Seeds for Asian Future program (SSAF).
The purpose of AHiS is to provide students and young researchers in the Asia-Pacific region with an opportunity to learn about space biology. AHiS also aims to promote understanding and gain experience regarding the utilization of Kibo by participating organizations.
NEWS
| Date | NEWS |
| May 13, 2024 | AHiS News: Spaceflight seeds were handed over to the PhilSA! |
| September 30, 2021 | |
| July 28, 2021 | Space travel seeds for Asian Herb in Space Mission 2 have returned! |
| March 26, 2021 | Mission- 1 growth experiment was successfully completed on March 18, 2021 (English) / ( Japanese) |
| February 16, 2021 | Mission-1 growth experiment was started on February 16, 2021. |
| June~December, 2020 | SpX-21 launch preparation activities [1.1MB]PDF |
| September 1, 2020 | AHiS News: Australian Ambassador gives JAXA seeds to be sent into space (English ) / ( Japanese) |
Project overview
Mission-1: Space growth experiment mission
In the first mission, basil seeds will be grown in the Kibo module and returned for analysis by Japanese and Malaysian researchers. Participating organizations will give students and young researchers an opportunity to conduct a ground control experiment using the basil seeds provided by JAXA.
Mission-2: Space travel seed mission
In the second mission, herb seeds provided by participating organizations will be stored in the Kibo module then returned to the participating organizations for research and education purposes.
Project schedule
| Date | NEWS |
| December 2014 | Proposal of the AHiS project by Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) |
| 2015-2019 | Discussion and planning among Kibo-ABC members Ground preliminary experiments by MYSA and JAXA |
| Until September 2020 | Preparation of the flight items |
| October 2020 | Transportation of the flight items from JAXA to NASA |
| December 7, 2020 | Launch to the ISS/Kibo on SpX-21 |
| February-March, 2021 | Space experiment in the Kibo module (Japanese astronaut NOGUCHI Soichi will conduct the experiment.) |
| TBD in 2021 | Launch of additional seeds to the ISS/Kibo on SpX-22 |
| TBD in 2021 | Return to the ground on SpX-22 Post flight analysis of experiment samples Transportation of seeds from JAXA to each Kibo-ABC member |
| 2021-2022 | Activities using the returned seeds in the Asia-Pacific region |
Mission-1 growth experiment results and Messages from Astronaut
We have reported growth experiment results through social media and video messages of Astronaut NOGUCHI Soichi. Please learn more detail from the following page.
Materials for Research and Education
Participating organizations and their activities
- Australian Space Agency (Australia)
(Australian AHiS project is operated by One Giant Leap Australia Foundation.) Mission-1 & Mission-2 - National Museum of Science and Technology (Bangladesh)
- National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Indonesia)
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Japan)
- Malaysian Space Agency (Malaysia)
- Nepal Scientific Activities and Research Center (Nepal)
- New Zealand Astrobiology Network (New Zealand)
- Singapore Space and Technology Limited (Singapore)
- National Space Organization (Taiwan)
- National Science and Technology Development Agency (Thailand)
- UAE Space Agency (United Arab Emirates)
- Space Technology Institute, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (Vietnam)
Space Seeds for Asian Future 2013
In the “Space Seeds for Asian Future 2013” program, indigenous seeds of Asia (Azuki) were launched by HTV-4 to ISS and the germination of the seeds in the microgravity environment on board Kibo was observed and cultivated with the help of astronauts in the Kibo/ISS. The members of the “Kibo-ABC” initiative have collaborated in the preparation, following which many people including children, students and researchers participated in the program. Participants cultivated their own seeds on the ground and joined events organized by Kibo-ABC members that include simultaneous control experiments on the ground.
Mission overview
Mission result
Space Experiment Report
Space Seeds for Asian Future 2010-2011
Well over one thousand students from four Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam) participated in the program (“Space Seeds for Asian Future 2010-2011”), which gave them a valuable opportunity to grow “space seeds” retuned from the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) called Kibo on the International Space Station (ISS).
Seeds from Asian countries launched to the ISS/Kibo and returned to earth were distributed among students who participated in this program, and the students grew the seeds on the ground for observational experiments.
Mission overview
Mission result
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