<h5>How did we get our hands on the Moon's soil?</h5>  <p>The first time humans went to the Moon was in 1969. The last time they went was in 1972. These trips were known as the Apollo missions. The names of some of the men on these journeys you already know - Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon and Buzz Aldrin, the second. Twelve men have walked on the Moon in total and they all went within these three years.
During these trips, the astronauts brought back a total of three hundred and eighty-two kilos of lunar soil. The Moon's soil is quite unlike the soil of the Earth. The soil the astronauts brought back was full of rocks, pebbles, sand, dust, and even glass.</p>
<p>These bags of dirt have been kept locked away by NASA for decades. Recently, NASA gave twelve grams of this precious cargo to scientists at the University of Florida (UF). The scientists at the UF wanted to experiment with growing plants in soil from space.
</p> <h5>How did the experiment go?</h5> <figure>
        <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/scientists-grow-plants-in-lunar-soil%2Fscientists-grow-plants-in-lunar-soil-section1.jpeg?alt=media&token=7848ab53-cc25-419b-905f-ec135e5c4557" alt="How did the experiment go?" >
        <figcaption>Scientists looking at the lunar soil under a special light hoping plants grow in it. Photo by Tyler Jones / University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.; https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/plants_in_soil_from_the_moon5.jpg</figcaption>
      </figure> <p>It’s easy to grow plants on Earth’s soil because there are a lot of favourable conditions on our little blue planet that support life. Unlike the soil on Earth, the soil on the Moon is harsh because it’s been exposed to cosmic radiation and solar winds. 
Now, what do you think would happen if someone tried to grow a plant from this harsh and infertile space soil that’s been locked away for about fifty years? Nothing, right? Turns out, the opposite!</p>
<p>The researchers planted seeds of thale cress on the lunar soil. Within two days of planting, the seeds sprouted.
</p> <h5>So we can start planting stuff on the Moon now?</h5>  <p>Hehe, not for a while yet. NASA gave a teensy one gram of soil per plant to the UF scientists for the experiment. That’s too little to jump to big conclusions.</p>
<p></p>
<p>In the first six days of planting, there was no difference between the cress growing on Moon soil and the cress that had been planted in Earth soil next to it. After that, things took a turn.</p>
<p>Plants in the Moon soil showed signs of stress, developed much slower and became stunted. So, no one is starting a farm on the Moon anytime soon. Nonetheless, this is a huge achievement.
</p> <h5>Why is this a huge achievement?</h5>  <p>Today, NASA and many other private space companies are hard at work planning human exploration into deep space. Astronauts will need local food sources when they’re staying for long stretches of time on the Moon or Mars. Learning how to grow food on their soil is crucial to the success of their mission.
So, this experiment might be one small step in farming. But it’s a giant leap in space-farming.</p>
<p>Another reason to experiment with growing food in space soil is to overcome any food shortage here on Earth. When scientists study more about how plants manage to grow in space soil, they’ll know more about growing food in infertile regions on Earth.</p>
<p>That thale cress might not look too delicious. But that’s what you’re going to have to eat if you want to be an astronaut staying on the Moon or on Mars when you grow up (at least in the beginning!).
</p>

For the first time ever, scientists have grown plants in soil from space, not Earth. How did this incredible achievement happen? Let’s find out.

Scientists Grow Plants In Lunar Soil

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Scientists Grow Plants In Lunar Soil

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