At zero gravity, “We expect something will happen,” said Kimel. “It could very well be material changes that enhance the efficacy of the plant, and that could have a major impact on people’s lives, particularly in the biomedical area.” The seed will remain on the Space Station for five to six weeks before it comes back to earth. Atalo will study some seeds and plant others. Several months from now, they’ll launch the next phase, which will include germinating the seed in space.

“When plants are ‘stressed’ they pull from a genetic reservoir to produce compounds that allow them to adapt and survive,” Chappell said in a public statement when Space Tango announced its hemp plans. “Understanding how plants react in an environment where the traditional stress of gravity is removed can provide new insights into how adaptations come about and how researchers might take advantage of such changes for the discovery of new characteristics, traits, biomedical applications and efficacy.”

FARMERS HOPE FOR HEMP RICHES DESPITE RISKS. The farm bill, which President Donald Trump signed in December, makes growing hemp in the United States legal again. Now Kentucky, which the Brookings Institution called one of the best places to cultivate hemp in the world, is returning to its roots. Kentucky was the country’s greatest producer of hemp in the 19th and 20th centuries. But two legislative efforts limited production: A 1937 marijuana taxation law characterized hemp as a narcotic and required growers to hold a federal registration and special tax stamp. And the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 made hemp illegal to grow without a permit from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.