For the first time in history, scientists at the University of Florida have managed to grow plants on Earth in lunar soil.
Scientists from the University of Florida managed to grow for the first time in history on Earth plants in lunar soil . This was announced in a press release published on the NASA website, according to the Voice of America. >
The plant, known among scientists as the Latin name Arabidopsis, is widely used by biologists for experiments due to its small size and rapid growth. Arabidopsis is thought to have played a role in the development of plant genetics that can be compared to the importance of the Drosophila fly or mice as experimental animals in the development of zoogenetics.
Samples taken from NASA astronauts from the lunar surface in 1969 and 1972 (Apollo mission numbers 11, 12 and 17) were used as soil for the seedlings. adding water to it, and then – seeds and nutrient solution. Two days later, they began to germinate, and six days later, biologists began to notice the difference between sprouts planted in different soils.
For example, the least fertile were the samples collected during the Apollo 11 mission – then, during the first manned landing on the moon, astronauts collected soil in the Sea of Peace.
“This experiment is crucial for NASA's long-term goal of studying human activities [in space], as we will need to use resources on the Moon and Mars to create food sources for future astronauts, “said US Aerospace Chief of Staff Bill Nelson. Moreover, according to the director of NASA, such a study could be useful for agriculture on Earth, showing how plants can cope with stress in areas with food shortages.
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The study was part of the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis Program (ANGSA), NASA's special lunar sample program, the results of which could be useful for the Artemis program to which is the return of man to the moon and manned flight to Mars.
