Australian scientists plan to grow plants on the moon by 2025
The surface of the moon from the northern hemisphere as it rises in the sky over Ronda, southern Spain. July 19, 2021 - REUTERS
Australian scientists want to try to grow plants on the moon by 2025, as part of a new mission announced 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."
In the sense of the statement, the "Lunaria One" organization, which includes Australian and Israeli scientists, will manage this project.
"The seeds will be transported by the Beresheet 2 spacecraft as part of a special Israeli space mission," said plant biologist at Queensland University of Technology Brett Williams.
Professor Caitlin Burt, from the Australian National University, said: "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 harshest environments on Earth."
She pointed out that the types of plants will be selected based on their ability to withstand extreme weather conditions and the speed of their germination as well, noting that the mission "may serve as a laboratory aimed at finding solutions to food security problems caused by climate warming."
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Source: websites