Research by Australian and Israeli scientists about agriculture on the moon .. A new step to facilitate human settlement on the planet
Australian scientists want to try to grow plants on the moon by 2025, as part of a new mission announced on Friday aimed at developing a colony on its surface.
The researchers said in a statement that "this project constitutes a first step towards growing plants in order to provide food, medicine and produce oxygen, all of which are necessary to establish life for humans on the surface of the moon."
And plant biologist at Queensland University of Technology Brett Williams explained that the seeds will be transported by the Beresheet 2 spacecraft as part of a special Israeli space mission.
Once on the moon and planted, the seeds will be watered in a closed room while scientists watch for any signs of germination.
Plant species will be selected based on their ability to withstand extreme weather conditions as well as their speed of germination.
In addition to this goal, the mission may also serve as a laboratory aimed at finding solutions to food security problems caused by climate warming, said Australian National University professor Caitlin Burt.
"If we can create a system for growing plants on the Moon, then we will be able to create a system for growing food products in some of the most extreme environments on Earth," she said in a statement.
The project is managed by Lunaria One, which includes Australian and Israeli scientists.
Source: websites