August
17, 2005
Sassicaia
in Space
Ancient mariners
always carried root stock during their voyages. The first
thing Noah did after the flood was to plant the vines he had
brought with him. The Spanish conquistadores planted European
varietals in the Americas as soon as they discovered the New
World.
As part of a series of experiments to determine the effects
of weightlessness on plants, Sassicaia rootstock will be
carried to space onboard an unmanned space mission later
this year by Kayser, a Livorno-based life science space
research company, which regularly transports materials and
supplies to the International Space Station. Once the vines
have returned to earth, they will undergo biological and
chemical analysis at the University of Pisa before being
replanted in Bolgheri, where researchers will continue to
monitor their growth.
The mission's purpose is to study how plants might one
day be cultivated in space. The space flight is also intended
to raise awareness of how satellite technology helps winemakers
monitor their vineyards and weather conditions, etc.
To commemorate the occasion, the Marquis Niccolò
Incisa della Rocchetta created a specially shaped bottle
of Sassicaia that traveled to space on an unmanned flight
on May 31, 2005 (Mission Foton M2).
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