For the first time the plants are grown in lunar soil – a cornerstone for lunar and space research.
Researchers at the University of Florida have found that watercress, Arabidopsis thaliana, can successfully sprout and grow in soil collected by the moon.
The discoveries could lay the groundwork for growing plants that supply food and oxygen to the moon.
Rob Fearl, one of the study’s co-authors, said: “Showing that plants will grow in lunar soil is actually a huge step in that direction so we can settle in lunar colonies.
Although Arabidopsis is edible, it is not tasty. The plant belongs to the same family as mustard, cauliflower and broccoli.
Anna-Lisa Paul, another co-author of the study, said: “The plants that reacted most strongly to what we call oxidative stress reactions are those, especially in the Apollo 11 samples, they are the ones that turned purple.
“It’s the same thing in blueberries and cranberries.”
The discovery comes when NASA plans to return humans to the moon as part of the Artemis program later this decade.
The researchers added water, light and nutrients to 12 grams of lunar soil while analyzing growth.
Read more: The first image of a massive black hole in the center of the Milky Way galaxy revealed NASA releases a recording of a black hole – and sounds like the result of Hans Zimmer
The team applied to NASA three times in 11 years for the opportunity to work with the sample and received it only 18 months ago.
Although all plants sprouted, some were of different colors, sizes, and slower than others. To make a comparison, some were planted in the soil from Earth.
The study was published in the journal Communications Biology.
Add Comment