A seed of Egusi melon from Oyo State is set to join the International Space Station on July 31 in a first-of-its-kind African-led agricultural space mission.
An Egusi melon seed from Oyo State will be launched into space on July 31, 2025, as part of a multinational agricultural research mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
The mission is led by Nigerian space scientist Dr. Temidayo Oniosun, who called it “the first time an object from Nigeria is going to space.”
The seed will travel aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral and participate in microgravity experiments alongside crops from Egypt, Pakistan, and Armenia.
“This mission allows us to contribute to a growing body of knowledge required for extraterrestrial agriculture,” Oniosun added.
The project involves The Karman Project, Jaguar Space, and the University of Florida, where post-return analysis will be conducted.
The goal is to understand how indigenous crops like Egusi can support sustainable agriculture in space and enhance global food security.