Amazing China Colorful Jingchu：Xianning Osmanthus Seeds’ Debut Launch in Space

咸宁桂花种子首次登上太空

Xianning Osmanthus Seeds’ Debut Launch in Space

极目新闻记者 张万军

翻译：黄婷婷、陈琴、龚佳玉（湖北大学）

JIMU News

Reporter: Zhang Wanjun

Translators: Huang Tingting, Chen Qin, Gong Jiayu (Hubei University)

162克来自“中国桂花之乡”咸宁的桂花种子，搭载我国实践十九号试验卫星，首次登上太空，完成在轨飞行试验后，顺利移交，于12月6日回到家乡。桂花研究专家、湖北科技学院教授陈洪国表示将结合此次太空育种成果，筛选出更加优良的桂花品种。

On December 6, 162 grams of osmanthus seeds from Xianning City, dubbed the “Hometown of Osmanthus in China,” returned to their birthplace after completing an orbital flight test aboard China’s Shijian-19 experimental satellite. These seeds, which embarked on their maiden voyage into space, were successfully handed over upon completion of the mission. Chen Hongguo, an osmanthus research expert and professor at Hubei University of Science and Technology, announced plans to leverage the results of this space breeding experiment to cultivate osmanthus varieties with superior traits.

12月10日，极目新闻记者在湖北科技学院的国家林业草原桂花工程技术研究中心见到了这批桂花种子。这些种子分装在三个透明袋内，颗粒饱满，均为金桂，属于三个不同品种。9月27日18时30分，它们随实践十九号试验卫星在酒泉卫星发射中心由长征二号丁运载火箭发射升空。10月11日10时39分，试验卫星返回舱在东风着陆场预定区域着陆回收。10月29日下午，试验卫星载荷交付。

On December 10, JIMU News reporters visited the National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Center for Osmanthus at Hubei University of Science and Technology, where they saw the actual osmanthus seeds. The plump and healthy-looking seeds, all belonging to three distinct varieties of Jingui (a fragrant variety of osmanthus), were packed in three transparent bags. These seeds were launched into space on September 27 at 18:30 aboard the Long March 2D carrier rocket, along with the Shijian-19 experimental satellite, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The return capsule of the experimental satellite successfully landed and was retrieved at the designated area of the Dongfeng Landing Site on October 11 at 10:39. The payloads of the experimental satellite were officially delivered on the afternoon of October 29.

此次试验卫星载荷了主粮作物、经济作物、微生物航天育种等20大类。包括咸宁桂花种子在内，北京花乡花木集团申请搭载了148个传统名花和重要商品花卉种子材料，载荷共计4488.41克，顺利完成在轨飞行试验，标志着我国花卉产业太空育种迈出重要一步。

The satellite carried 20 categories of payloads, including seeds of staple crops, cash crops, and microbial space breeding specimen. Among them were osmanthus seeds from Xianning. The Beijing Green Garden Group facilitated the transportation of 148 types of seed materials, encompassing traditional famous flowers and commercially significant flower species, with a total payload weight of 4,488.41 grams. The successful completion of this orbital flight test marked a significant step forward for space breeding in China’s flower industry.

12月6日，湖北科技学院教授陈洪国、邹晶晶专程赶赴北京，参加实践十九号试验卫星花卉航天育种研讨会，就航天育种、新花卉开发等开展研讨。本次研讨会还移交了实践十九号试验卫星搭载的花卉种子，并发放航天搭载证书。会后，陈洪国、邹晶晶带着移交的桂花种子回家。

On December 6, Chen Guohong and Zou Jingjing, professors of Hubei University of Science and Technology, made a special trip to Beijing to attend the seminar on aerospace breeding of flowers by the Shijian-19 Test Satellite, where discussions pertaining aerospace breeding and development of new flower varieties were held. At this seminar, the flower seeds carried by the Shijian-19 Test Satellite were handed over, and the certificates for spaceflight carrying were issued. Following the seminar, Chen Guohong and Zou Jingjing returned the osmanthus seeds back home.

邹晶晶介绍，这些登上太空的桂花种子都是经过精心挑选的咸宁本地优质桂花品种，也是咸宁的桂花种子首次登上太空。“太空诱变育种如同开盲盒一样，是非定向的。这批桂花种子经过太空诱变能够产生哪些基因突变，产生什么样的性状，目前来说是未知的。我们只有把种子拿回来之后，和原来的种子一起播种下去，进行对比试验，去观察它的哪些性状发生了改变，这样才能判断出未来可以在哪些方面取得新品种的突破。”

Zou Jingjing stated that prior to their space travel, the Osmanthus seeds underwent rigorous screening, with only the best local varieties from Xianning selected, noting this was an inaugural venture into space for Xianning’s Osmanthus seeds. “Space mutation breeding is like opening a blind box; it’s non-directional. We currently do not know what genetic mutations or traits this batch of Osmanthus seeds will produce after their time in space. We will only be able to determine the changes after we retrieve the seeds and plant them alongside the original crops for comparative experiments, observing which traits have altered. This will help us assess where breakthroughs in new varieties can be achieved in the future.”

（来源：极目新闻）