Mission Guide

How to grow your
space seeds

Everything you need to know to plant, photograph, and document your AstroSprouts experiment.

📄
Mini guide — printable quick reference A one-page summary of the kit instructions you can print and keep at your growing station.
⭳ Download mini guide
Step by step

Your mission instructions

Follow these steps from receiving your kit through to sharing your results.

1
📦

Gather your materials

Your kit contains everything you need:

  • 2 paper cups
  • 2 cotton balls
  • Pipette
  • Tweezers
  • Earth Seeds packet
  • Space Seeds packet
  • Measuring sheet/card

Keep the two seed packets clearly labelled and separate so your experiment stays accurate throughout.

2
🌿

Set up your growing cups

Label one cup "Earth Seeds" and the other "Space Seeds." Place 1 cotton ball into each cup, then fill the pipette with water and add 10 drops to each cotton ball.

Using the tweezers, carefully open the Earth Seeds packet and place 5 seeds onto the cotton ball — arrange them like the 5 on a dice. Repeat with the Space Seeds packet in the other cup.

Add 5 more drops of water to each cotton ball. The cotton should feel moist, not soggy. Place the cups in a semi-shaded area to grow. Note the date — this is Day 0 of your experiment.

3
🏷

Give your plant a name

Before you upload your first photo, decide on a name for your plant — for example "ISS Sprout A" or "Earth Control 1".

⚠️ This name is how the site tracks your plant's growth over time. Every time you upload a new photo, use exactly the same name so all your photos are linked together into a single growth timeline. Even a small spelling difference will start a separate series.
4
📷

Take photos every 2 days

Every 2 days, photograph your cups next to the measuring sheet/card from the same distance and angle each time. Consistent photos make the changes much clearer when you look back at the series.

Also add water with the pipette to keep the cotton moist. Continue observing and growing your seeds for up to 4 weeks.

💡 Good lighting makes a big difference. Take photos near a window or outside in natural light rather than under fluorescent classroom lights if you can.
5
🖼️

Upload each photo to this site

Head to the Upload page and submit your photo. Each time, select or type the same plant name you chose in Step 3.

You can add a short note to describe what you observe — height, number of sprouts, colour, or anything else that stands out. These notes become part of your experiment record.

👥 If you upload without an account, enter your email address the same way every time. The site uses your email and plant name together to connect your photos into a series.
6
📊

Watch your plant's story unfold

Once your photos are approved they appear in the gallery and on your plant's personal timeline. Keep uploading every 2 days to build a complete record of your sprouts' growth over the 4 weeks.

You can also explore the gallery to see how plants from other schools across Australia are growing — and compare your results with theirs.

🔍

Photos are reviewed before they appear

Every photo submitted to AstroSprouts is checked by a moderator before it is published in the gallery. This usually happens within a short time of submission. You do not need to do anything after uploading — your photo will appear automatically once it has been approved.

Ready?

Start documenting your plant

Head to the upload page to submit your first photo and begin your plant's growth timeline.

Upload a photo →