Cowpea seedlings onboard PSLV-C60 POEM-4 module sprout their first leaves in space, signifying a milestone in space-based plant research, ISRO said on Monday.

According to India's national space agency, the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS), developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), is an automated platform designed to cultivate and sustain plant life in the microgravity environment of space.