Australian scientists will try to grow plants on the Moon by 2025 as part of a new mission announced today on Fridays, according to biologists, which will help in the future colonization of the Earth's natural satellite.
Biologist Brett Williams of the University of Technology of Queensland told Agence France-Press in an interview that the seeds would be delivered by the Beresheet 2 spaceship. This is a private Israeli moon mission, which, after landing, will be watered inside a sealed cell and monitored for signs of growth and growth.
According to Williams, plants will choose on the basis of how well they cope with extreme conditions and how quickly they grow. One likely option is an Australian "resurrection herb" that can survive without water in sleep. This is Tripogon loliiformis.
"The project is the first step towards the cultivation of plants for the production of food, medicine and oxygen, which are crucial for the establishment of a human colony on the Moon," says researchers.
Caitlin Birt, Associate Professor at the Australian National University in Canberra, stated that the study would be useful in addressing the issue of food security caused by climate change.
"If you can create a system for growing plants on the Moon, it will also be useful for growing food under the most difficult conditions on Earth," Birt states.
The project is run by Lunaria One, which brings together scientists from Australia and Israel.