When NASA Takes Off Artemis Astronauts If they return to the lunar surface in the next few years, they should be able to cultivate their own power. This is just a split from a historical experiment in which scientists used samples of lunar surface material called regolith to grow plants here on Earth.
Scientists have sown the seeds of the Arabidopsis thaliana plant, related to mustard green, in tiny samples of regolith collected half a century ago during three separate Apollo missions.
But as the seeds germinated and grew, they did not bloom fully.
“Moon soil doesn’t contain many of the nutrients needed to support plant growth,” University of Florida’s Stephen Ellardo said during a news conference Wednesday.
Elardo is a co-author of Presentation sheet for research Published in Communications Biology Thursday, with Anna Lisa Ball and Robert Ferrell.
Although the plants grew in a way that suggested they were under stress, they still found a relatively quick way to go, with little help from the team that provided them with light, water and nutrients.
“After two days, it started to grow,” said Paul, also a professor of horticulture at the University of Florida. He said in a statement† ‘Everything sprouted. I can’t tell you how surprised we were. Every plant—whether it was a lunar sample or a control—looked the same until about day six.”
By the end of the first week, plants in the regolith showed slower growth, stunted roots and leaves, and some red spots. Genetic analysis would later confirm that the Greens were under stress.
Moon regolite is very fine and powdery, but don’t be fooled as these granules are sharp too. Breathing moon dust can damage the lungs and the material is not particularly suitable for plants.
“Ultimately, we want to use gene expression data to determine how to enhance stress responses to a level where plants – especially crops – can grow on lunar soil with very little impact on their health,” Paul added.
Ferrell says growing plants on the moon is the key to staying on the moon for a long time by providing not only food, but also clean air and water for astronauts and other visitors.
“When we go into space somewhere, we always take our crop with us,” said Ferrell, also of the University of Florida. “Showing the plants that will grow in the moon soil is actually a big step in that direction.”
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