'Super veggies' sent to space

2006-09-09 19:26

Beijing - China launched a satellite carrying fruit and vegetables on Saturday, as part of a plan to develop space-enhanced produce to feed the country's 1.3 billion people.

The Shijian-8, a recoverable satellite, was launched aboard a Long March 2C rocket for a mission to expose 2 000 seeds from nine different categories to cosmic radiation and micro-gravity, reported the Xinhua news agency.

The agency said the satellite had successfully entered orbit and would be conducting a range of space experiments.

The data gathered aboard the "seed satellite" would enable scientists to cultivate high-yield and high-quality plants, Xinhua quoted the China National Space Administration as saying earlier.

China has been experimenting with space-bred seeds for many years. It has exposed rice and wheat to space for increased yields.

The satellite, the first dedicated specifically to seeds, was the 23rd recoverable satellite launched by China, said Xinhua.

- AFP