How did we get our hands on the Moon's soil?
We got it from the Moon. Between 1969 and 1972, quite a few humans have been to the Moon and back. During these trips, they brought back quite the treasure. Not gold or diamonds, but dirt. More specifically, Moon dirt. Astronauts brought back a total of three hundred and eighty-two kilos of the Moon’s soil.
The Moon's soil is quite different from Earth’s soil. It’s full of rock, pebbles, sand, dust, and even glass.
Recently, scientists at the University of Florida (UF) wanted to experiment with growing plants in the Moon’s soil. NASA shared twelve grams of this soil with them for their experiment.
How did the experiment go?
Surprisingly well. Scientists planted seeds of thale cress in Moon’s soil. Within two days, the seeds became plants.
The Moon's soil is harsh and infertile because it’s exposed to space radiation. So, this was a lovely surprise.
So we can start planting stuff on the Moon now?
Hehe, not so fast! For the first six days, the plants grew well. Then they began to show signs of stress. Their growth slowed down. Ultimately they became stunted.
So, no one’s starting a farm on the Moon just yet. But this is still an amazing achievement.
Why is this a huge achievement?
This is the very first time we’ve grown plants in space soil! That’s a giant step forward for humanity, whether or not we were successful all the way.
NASA and private space companies are working on our next missions into space. Astronauts will be in space for a long time. They may have to grow their own food to survive. Learning how to grow food on space soil is the first step in this direction.
If you want to be an astronaut when you grow up, you might have to start liking eating thale cress. Looks like it’s going to be on the menu a lot (at least in the beginning!).
