Researchers from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management at the University of Debrecen prepared the packages of radish, wheat and pepper seeds participating in this experiment almost exactly a year ago, on March 17, 2025. What has become known since as VITAPRIC research material, and part of the scientific portfolio of the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Program, was launched to outer space on June 25 as part of the mission Axiom-4 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, to the International Space Station, along with research astronaut Tibor Kapu and his fellow team members.
- Our program did not start just a year ago. In fact, the research in plant breeding, crop production and biotechnology at the University of Debrecen laid the professional groundwork for these experiments many years ago, and this enabled the university to join the national space program. It was rather difficult to gain admission and to meet the expectations of NASA and the other professional organizations, which is precisely why the work of our researchers can be considered an extraordinary achievement. The University of Debrecen has excellent infrastructure and a dedicated team of experts, which is recognized both at home and abroad. Thus, this is not only a recognition but also an opportunity. I do believe that these results will be put to good use and open up new channels of research for our experts- said László Stündl, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management at the University of Debrecen, in his opening remarks of the ceremonial event.
Tibor Kapu unpacked the radish, wheat and Hungarian paprika seeds on the second day after arriving at the space station. He put the one thousand seeds, half of which had been subjected to a selenium-enriched pre-treatment, into 12 seed trays fitted with transparent polycarbonate lids, filled with a special growing medium. The seeds in the trays were then illuminated only by the space station’s ambient light source, while the research astronaut watered them with water taken from the crew’s drinking water dispenser. The total amount of water usage was limited to just 500 milliliters. Under these circumstances, the radishes in the special germinators had grown to nearly 2 centimeters, while the wheat plants were 3 to 4 centimeters tall by the fourth day. The entire experiment lasted for 10 to 16 days.
- The VITAPRIC program is one of the most interesting experiments in the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Program. It shows us what sort of challenges we have to face when we need to take an experiment into space and conduct it there. This is in an environment where the seeds do not really have an idea about which way to grow because there is no gravity and they are also placed in an incubator from which they can very easily fall out. Nevertheless, we could still solve these problems. We were the very first in the world who could grow plants in the same environment where we, the astronauts, were living. This was not in a sealed, isolated or controlled environment at all. I was really proud that, as a mechanical engineer by profession, I could grow radishes, wheat and peppers on board the space station- said Tibor Kapu, the research astronaut of the HUNOR program, who dubbed it an unexpected surprise that the experimental wheat plants had ended up growing a lot larger than originally planned. Therefore, he had to be fairly creative in order to find solutions for their placement during the final days of the expedition.
Both the breeding and pre-treatment of the seeds used in the HUNOR program was taken care of during a time period between 2024 and 2025 in the biotechnology laboratories of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Debrecen. During the course of this process, the seeds were disinfected and a range of special chemical priming techniques were applied to them in order to enhance nutrient synthesis and gene expression. This procedure resulted in accelerated germination, increased vitality of the seedlings and an improved phytochemical composition, leading to higher nutritional values.
- The plants grown on board the International Space Station were ‘harvested’ in three separate stages: first the radish microgreens, followed by the wheatgrass and, finally, the bell pepper microgreens. The samples were then placed into a deep-freeze unit known as ‘MELFI’ at minus 80 degrees Celsius. There, they were stored there up until January 15, 2026, when the members of the Crew-11 mission, which had been cut short due to illness, had to return to Earth and to us aboard the SpaceX Dragon ‘Grace.’ Our next step will be verifying if the harvest was carried out as planned using the specialized technology, and if the plants’ roots and shoots have indeed returned intact. By using the returned grow box and the medium inside it, we will also be able to examine root development in detail. We plan to conduct various compositional analyses and to study the effects of the seed treatment process and nutrient cycling. Furthermore, we will compare the samples with control plants grown under similar conditions, including factors such as light, temperature, carbon dioxide and humidity, inside our Biodrome- said Szilvia Veres, Deputy Dean for Research.
The lead researcher of the VITAPRIC program also added the following information: the studies will include an analysis of the microbiome of the plants, that is to say they will also examine whether the VITAPRIC microgreens grown on board the space station are suitable for human consumption and how the biochemical and mineral composition of the plants has changed, with special attention to the effects of the selenium pre-treatment of the seeds in the microgravity environment.
Alfalfa is one of the most important forage crops in the world and, as a result, it has a significant research history in Hungary and in our institute as well. That is exactly why we have decided to expand our research to include this plant, too. The thing is that alfalfa has the ability to absorb substances from the soil that other plants cannot. Consequently, this could serve as a tool for terraforming. Our research is in an advanced stage, and we can also achieve what our American research partners, who will soon be able to take their research into space, are capable of. Therefore, the competition is intense, but I am optimistic because the available to us meet the highest standards of human spaceflight,” said Technical Coordinator of the VITAPRIC program Miklós Fári.
At the event, the researchers of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management received alfalfa seeds that had also been returned from the space station.
- The Olympia variety of alfalfa has been proving its worth for almost 20 years. It is one of the alfalfa varieties that are most tolerant of abiotic stress. This means that it can survive drought and low-fertility soils well. We reckon that this trait could be important in the future for space exploration, for example, at a lunar base, where alfalfa could serve as a potential alternative food source for astronauts. It has excellent nutritional and physiological values; it is a particularly valuable plant due to its high protein content, favorable essential amino acid composition and significant vitamin, mineral and trace element content, especially calcium and magnesium. This is why Professor Miklós Fári and myself have decided to include this variety in the experiment for breeding purposes- said József Kruppa, Founding Managing Director of the company Kruppa Mag Kft.
Before the beginning of the handover ceremony, Balázs Nagy, Director of Research and Development for the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Program, and Chief Engineer István Örökös-Tóth gave a briefing for the researchers of the University of Debrecen. During this technical consultation, they touched upon topics such as the compliance and certification systems of international space companies and the potentially relevant research directions in the future.
Press Center - ÉE