Nearly a year ago, researchers from the University of Debrecen packed seeds that have now returned from space as plants. They spent almost 203 days in space and orbited the Earth more than 3,200 times. The samples from Hungary鈥檚 first space plant experiment, the VITAPRIC program, have returned from the International Space Station.
Researchers from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management at the University of Debrecen received the experimental materials from research astronaut Tibor Kapu on Monday at the DE Biodrome, the home of the HUNOR program鈥檚 space plant experiment and the university鈥檚 鈥渟pace paprika.鈥� The research now enters a new phase for the Debrecen-based experts.
Almost exactly one year ago, on March 17, 2025, the researchers packed radish, wheat, and paprika seeds for the experiment. The VITAPRIC research materials were launched as part of the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Program鈥檚 scientific portfolio on the Axiom-4 mission on June 25, together with Tibor Kapu and his crew from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station.
This program did not begin just a year ago. Years of research in plant breeding, crop production, and biotechnology at the University of Debrecen laid the foundation that enabled the institution to join the national space program.
Meeting the expectations of NASA and other professional organizations was extremely challenging, making the researchers鈥� work a remarkable achievement. The University of Debrecen has excellent infrastructure and a dedicated team of experts recognized both nationally and internationally. This is not only recognition but also an opportunity. We believe the results will be useful and open new research directions for our specialists
鈥� said L谩szl贸 St眉ndl, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, in his welcome speech.
First Plants Grown in Space by Hungarian Astronaut
On the second day after arriving at the space station, Tibor Kapu unpacked the radish, wheat, and Hungarian paprika seeds. The 1,000 seeds鈥攈alf of which had undergone selenium-rich pre-treatment鈥攚ere placed into 12 seed trays with transparent polycarbonate lids, filled with a special growing medium. The seeds were illuminated only by the station鈥檚 ambient light, and the astronaut watered them using water from the crew鈥檚 drinking supply. The total water usage was limited to just 500 milliliters.
Under these conditions, in the special germination unit, radishes reached nearly 2 centimeters in height by the fourth day, while wheat plants grew to 3鈥�4 centimeters. The experiment lasted 10鈥�16 days.
The VITAPRIC program is one of the most interesting experiments of the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Program. It demonstrates the challenges of conducting experiments in space鈥攁n environment where, without gravity, seeds do not really know which direction to grow, and where they can easily fall out of the germination unit. Yet we managed to solve these problems.
We were the first in the world to grow plants in the same environment where we astronauts live鈥攏ot in an isolated, controlled chamber. I was very proud that as a mechanical engineer I could grow radish, wheat, and paprika on board the space station
鈥� recalled Tibor Kapu, who described it as an unexpected surprise that the wheat plants grew much larger than planned, requiring creative solutions for placement in the final days.
The breeding and pre-treatment of the seeds used in the HUNOR program took place between 2024 and 2025 in the biotechnology laboratories of the university鈥檚 agricultural faculty. During the process, the seeds were disinfected and treated with special chemical priming techniques to enhance nutrient synthesis and gene expression. This accelerated germination, increased seedling vitality, and improved phytochemical composition, resulting in higher nutritional value.
The plants grown on the International Space Station were 鈥渉arvested鈥� in three stages: first the radish microgreens, then wheatgrass, and finally paprika microgreens. The samples were stored in a minus 80掳C deep freezer known as MELFI. They remained there until January 15, 2026, when they returned to Earth aboard the spacecraft carrying the Crew-11 mission, which had been cut short due to illness.
Following their return, researchers will first verify whether the harvesting was carried out as planned using the special technology, and whether the roots and shoots of the plants arrived intact.
Using the returned growing containers and medium, researchers will also be able to study root development in detail. Various compositional analyses will be conducted, along with studies on the effects of seed treatment and nutrient cycles. In addition, the samples will be compared with control plants grown under similar conditions鈥攍ight, temperature, carbon dioxide, and humidity鈥攊n the Biodrome
鈥� explained Szilvia Veres, Vice Dean for Science. The lead researcher of the VITAPRIC program added that the studies will also include microbiome analysis to determine whether the microgreens grown on the space station are suitable for human consumption.
(unideb.hu)
