A piece of Sir Isaac Newton’s famous apple tree will experience zero gravity when it goes into space aboard NASA’s Atlantis.

A piece of the apple tree which inspired Sir Isaac Newton to compose his theory of gravitation will be taken into space this week by British astronaut Piers Sellers as NASA’s Atlantis lifts off for its final mission.

As part of the Royal Society’s 350th celebrations, it has given permission for British-born astronaut Piers Sellers to take a section of wood from the apple tree into space, together with an image of Sir Isaac.

Former President of the Royal Society, Sir Isaac, who is considered to be one of the most influential people in human history, formulated his theory of gravitation by famously watching an apple fall from a tree in his own garden.

“We’re delighted to take this piece of Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree to orbit. While it’s up there, it will be experiencing no gravity, so if it had an apple on it, the apple wouldn’t fall,” commented Sellers.

“I’m pretty sure that Sir Isaac would have loved to see this, assuming he wasn’t spacesick, as it would have proved his first law of motion to be correct,” Sellers added.

NASA’s Space Shuttle Atlantis will lift off for its final 12-day mission to the International Space Station on 14 May and Sellers said that the crew will return the piece of tree and image of the scientist to the Royal Society where it will then form part of a ‘History of the Royal Society’ exhibit later this year.

Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society and thus Newton’s modern-day successor, said: “We are both pleased and proud that such an extraordinary part of scientific history and important element of the Royal Society’s archive collection can make this historic trip into space.”