Rooibos tea is heading into orbit as part of a South African experiment combining space science, agriculture and school-based STEM education.
The Rooibos in Space programme was launched last month at the Parklands College Innovation Centre in Cape Town. In October, a batch of Rooibos seeds is due to travel to the International Space Station, where it will be exposed to microgravity and space radiation for several weeks.
After returning to Earth, the seeds will be planted alongside a control group that remained on the ground. Learners will compare their germination, growth, resilience and eventual yield.
Seven schools from the Cederberg, the region where Rooibos originates, will take part in the experiment with local farms. Parklands College will conduct a parallel study to add another set of comparative results.
The programme was conceived by the South African Rooibos Council and is being delivered with MaxIQ Space, with support from the South African National Space Agency.
“Rooibos has long been part of South Africa’s agricultural heritage,” said SARC director Dawie de Villiers.
“This project places it within a broader scientific context, where plant biology, space research and education intersect. It also reflects the importance of investing in scientific literacy and skills development for the next generation of researchers and innovators.”
Why send a plant into space?
Space agencies are studying how plants respond to microgravity as they prepare for longer missions beyond Earth.
Future crews travelling for months or years may need to grow food rather than carry every meal from home. Plants could also contribute to oxygen production, waste recycling and the psychological well-being of astronauts living in confined environments.
Experiments aboard the ISS have already examined crops including lettuce, peas and soybeans. The Rooibos project will add an indigenous South African plant to that body of research.
Rooibos is adapted to the dry and often harsh conditions of the Cederberg. Researchers and learners will now investigate whether exposure to space produces measurable changes when the seeds return to Earth.
The seeds will travel inside a NanoLab, a compact research container designed to carry experiments aboard the ISS.
Learners become researchers
The participating pupils will do more than observe the experiment. They will collect data, compare results and work through a structured scientific investigation linked to their school curriculum.
“The value of this project lies in giving learners exposure to real research processes linked to space science,” said MaxIQ Space founder and director Judi Sandrock.
“It provides a structured opportunity to develop scientific thinking, data analysis skills and an understanding of how experimentation works in practice.”
The schools will also take part in an extended programme covering plant biology, sustainable agriculture and space science.
Learners elsewhere in South Africa will be able to join the project by designing its official mission patch during July and August.
Building a route into space science
Thandile Vuntu, manager of science engagement at SANSA, said projects of this kind could help learners understand that space technology already plays a part in everyday life.
“Space science is becoming more integrated into areas that affect daily life, from communications to environmental monitoring,” he said.
“Initiatives such as this help build awareness of the skills required for future participation in the sector, but also align with national priorities around skills development, innovation capacity and strengthening South Africa’s position in emerging scientific fields.”
The programme also featured Dr Kelebogile Gasealahwe, a postdoctoral fellow at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory and the University of Cape Town.
Gasealahwe, whose research focuses on X-ray binary star systems, spoke to learners about her path from Kimberley into astrophysics. She also highlighted the role of South African facilities such as the MeerKAT radio telescope in international astronomy research.
The project will continue through the October launch, the seeds’ return to Earth and the subsequent growing period. Organisers plan to publish mission updates, learner activities and research milestones as the experiment progresses.