SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft landed off the coast of Florida on Wednesday evening with research supplies, equipment and 12 bottles of French wine.
But not just any wine!
These bottles of wine and what vines had spent about a year in the International Space Station, orbiting the world in the name of science.
The wine does not open until the end of February. That’s when Space Cargo Unlimited plans to open a bottle or two for an extraordinary wine tasting experience in Bordeaux, France.
Agricultural science is the main goal of the study, says Nicolas Gaume, the company’s chief and co-founder. But he admits it will be fun to try the wine. He will be one of the lucky few to taste it, along with some French wine experts.
Months of chemical testing will follow. Researchers want to see how sedimentation and space are affected bubbles. Sedimentation is the process of moving material to the bottom of a liquid.
Gaume told the Associated Press that his company’s goal is to try to understand “how tomorrow we will have an agriculture that is both biological and healthy and able to feed humanity. Gaume added, “we think space is the key. “
With climate change, Gaume added that agricultural products such as grapes must be able to live under more difficult conditions. Through a series of space experiments, Space Cargo Unlimited hopes to use what has been learned to make plants stronger on Earth.
There is another reason to do such space research. Gaume expects future explorers to the moon and Mars will want to enjoy some of the nice things. “As a Frenchman, it’s part of life to eat and drink well,” he said.
The wine bottles were kept in steel containers for safety when they went to the space station on a Northrop Grumman ship in November 2019. last March.
Right now SpaceX’s Dragon is the only spacecraft that can return space station experiments and other items to Earth. Others burn up in the atmosphere upon their return.
I am Bryan Lynn.
Marcia Dunn reported this story to the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it to teach English. Hai Do was the editor.
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Words in this story
wine – n. an alcoholic drink made from the juice of grapes
vine – n. a climbing plant on which grapes grow
bubble – n. a small, round ball of air or gas in a liquid
biological – adj. of food: grown or made without the use of artificial key chemicals