Australia aims to grow plants on the moon by 2025

Australian scientists are trying to grow plants on the moon by 2025 in a new mission unveiled Friday that they say could help pave the way for a future colony.

Plant biologist Brett Williams of the Queensland University of Technology said the seeds would be carried by the Beresheet 2 spacecraft, a private Israeli mission to the moon.

After planting, they are watered in a closed chamber and observed for signs of germination and growth.

Plants will be selected based on how well they establish extreme conditionsand how quickly they germinate, he said.

One likely choice is the Australian “resurrection grass”, which can survive without water in a state of rest.

“The project is the first step towards growth plants for food, medicine and oxygen production, which are critical to establishing human life on the Moon,” the researchers said in a statement.

Caitlin Burt, an associate professor at the Australian National University in Canberra, said the research was also relevant to food security fears caused by climate change.

“If you can create a system to grow plants on the moon, you can create a system to grow food in some of the most challenging conditions on Earth,” Birt said in a statement.

The Lunaria One organization manages the project, which involves scientists from Australia and Israel.

© 2022 AFP