Historic farm plots show that over-fertilizing can actually decrease crop yields and make production unstable. Long rotations and sustainable farming practices are more effective in increasing organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
Researchers will test the effects of microgravity on plant species known as sweet wormwood and rosy periwinkle, which naturally produce pharmaceutically important compounds. The goal is to develop new drugs or lower production costs.
Researchers at Cornell University are working on two projects, COBRA and FIREX, to create a new approach to fusion energy production. COBRA aims to investigate the use of ion beams as an alternative to laser beams for inertial fusion, while FIREX focuses on magnetic fusion and its potential to replace Tokamaks.