The humankind dreams to fly to the Mars. Some scientists even indicate an optimistic date of this event - 2017. Nevertheless, investigations are going on and their results will be a base of this great space project.

But some problems remain still unsolved. Particularly, this is a problem of providing a crew with food and oxygen for more than 2 years. For this purpose the opportunity of using plants is being examined.

During the educational space experiment "Microlada" students of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the USA as well as the cosmonaut Valery Tokarev who works at the International Space Station (ISS) are growing up the crops of "peas tendrilled" in the special modules.
The result of this experiment will show us the differences between growing plants in "earth" and "space" conditions. The students and the cosmonaut will be exchanging the results of their observations and photographs for 2 months: how the plants germinate, grow up, flower and bear fruit.

The object of investigations is "peas tendrilled" (genetically marked dwarf line 131 of Pisum sativum) from the collection of genetic and selection department of Biological faculty, Moscow State University. The height of plants is 25-30 cm, leaves are transformed into branched tendrils, the color of petals is pink-lilac, the color of beans is green.

The experiment started on the 10th of January 2006 at 17.15. At the same time the students and the cosmonaut planted seeds into the "soil" of "Microlada".
In the 13th of March the Mission Control Centre is planning a direct connection between the Moscow pupils and the cosmonaut of the ISS V.Tokarev.

The organizers of the experiment:
* S.P.Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation "ENERGIA"
* The Mission Control Centre (MCC) of the Federal Space Agency (ROSKOSMOS)
* State Research Centre of the Russian Federation Institute for medico-biological problems (IBMP) Russian Academy of Science

Participants from Russian Federation:
* the cosmonaut Valery Ivanovich Tokarev (ISS)
* Moscow City Palace of Children`s and Youth`s Creativity (MCPCYC)
=> environmental educational center (EEC)
=> astronomy and space department
* Lyceum 1525 "Vorob`evy Gory" (Moscow)
* Interschool educational center 15 (Moscow)
* Lyceum 344 after Prince of Oldenburgh (St. Petersburg)

Participants from USA:
* Utah State University`s Space Dynamics Laboratory
* Sterling Elementary School (Sterling, Alaska, USA)
* Cedar Ridge Middle School (North Logan, Utah, USA)
* South Cache Middle School (Hyrum, Utah, USA)
* Viewmont High School (Bountiful, Utah, USA)
* Bountiful High School (Bountiful, Utah, USA)
* Indian Hills Elementary (Pocatello, Idaho, USA)
* Highland High School (Pocatello, Idaho, USA)
* University of Florida
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Supervisor of the experiment: Sytchev V.N., the chief manager of the laboratory of biological systems of human`s life security SRC RF IBMP RAS

MCPCYC coordinator: Koloskov A.V., candidate of pedagogical science, Master in environmental science and management, the manager of EEC MCPCYC, biology teacher of lyceum 1525 "Vorob`evy Gory".

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We are inviting all students and teachers interested in the experiment and the problem to cooperation. The additional information can be got from the references (on the left). Photodiaries are especially recommended.