原子能机构和粮农组织发起“太空种子 ”青年漫画竞赛
国际原子能机构（原子能机构）和联合国粮食及农业组织（粮农组织）发起了一项漫画竞赛，邀请14至18岁的年轻人提交讲述 “太空种子”故事的艺术作品。 去年年底，原子能机构和粮农组织将农作物种子送入太空。这些种子目前暴露在宇宙辐射和恶劣太空条件的复杂混合环境中，这样的环境可能导致生长出新的植物品种，能够抵御气候变化的影响并帮助抗击全球饥饿。 将邀请世界各地的青少年创作纸质或数字插图，描绘种子国际空间站之旅的六个主要步骤之一及其返回地球会发生什么情况。 获胜设计将被用作官方《太空种子》漫画书视觉效果的灵感来源。
种子太空之旅
2022年11月7日，来自粮农组织/原子能机构粮食和农业核技术联合中心实验室的种子通过货运飞船从美国国家航空航天局沃勒普斯飞行设施发射到国际空间站，这些种子在那里历时约五个月暴露在国际空间站内外的太空条件下 — 宇宙辐射、微重力和极端温度的复杂混合环境。
这些种子预计在4月初返回地球，届时将对其进行育芽、种植并筛选出理想的性状。这些分析将有助于了解宇宙辐射和恶劣的空间条件是否会让作物变得更好地适应地球上日益艰难的生长条件。
种子故事的六个步骤
漫画中将描绘六个步骤，参与者可根据自己的意愿提交任意多个步骤的绘画：
- 为种子进入太空做准备
- 发射到太空和在国际空间站对接
- 暴露在太空宇宙辐射、微重力和极端温度下
- 溅落并返回粮农组织/原子能机构联合中心实验室
- 在粮农组织/原子能机构联合中心实验室进行分析和种植
- 结果：宇宙辐射和太空条件对种子有宝贵的独特影响吗？
艺术作品将由原子能机构和粮农组织的科学家和设计人员进行评审，他们将选出10个设计（被提名者）候选名单，并从中选出获胜设计。
提交的截止日期是2023年4月16日（星期日）。获胜者将于2023年4月23日世界图书和版权日宣布。
更多信息和提交详情可在这里查悉。
由于参赛作品数量众多，赛事组织方决定为评委提供更多时间评审参赛作品。被提名者和获奖人将很快公布。
Seeds in space journey
On 7 November 2022, seeds from the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture laboratories were launched in a cargo shuttle from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility to the ISS where, for around five months, they are being exposed to conditions prevailing in space — a complex mixture of cosmic radiation, microgravity and extreme temperatures — inside and outside the ISS.
The seeds are expected to return at the beginning of April, when they will be germinated, grown and screened for desirable traits. These analyses will help to understand whether cosmic radiation and harsh space conditions will lead to crops becoming more resilient in the face of increasingly difficult growing conditions on Earth.
Six steps of the seeds story
Six steps will be portrayed in the comic and participants may submit drawings for as many of the steps as they wish:
- Preparation of seeds for space
- Launch into space and docking at the International Space Station
- Exposure to cosmic radiation, microgravity and extreme temperatures in space
- Splashdown and return to Joint FAO/IAEA Centre laboratories
- Analysis and growth in Joint FAO/IAEA Centre laboratories
- The results: Do cosmic radiation and space conditions have a uniquely valuable effect on the seeds?
Artwork will be judged by IAEA and FAO scientists and designers, who will select a shortlist of 10 designs (the nominees), and from those select the winning design.
The deadline for submissions is Sunday, 16 April 2023. The winners will be announced on 23 April 2023, World Book and Copyright Day.
More information and submission details can be found here. Participants are welcome to attend the seeds in space event, which will be held in person and online on 27 March 2023, to learn more about seeds in space.