For years we’ve been hearing about attempts being made to colonize the moon and advance the human civilization by moving into outerspace. Sounds like it’s from a movie, right? We’ve all seen movies like Star Wars and Star Trek, which take place at a time in the future where outerspace is just as populated as Earth. But who would have thought that life in space could become a reality (minus the light sabers and jedis)?
It was just reported today that NASA will attempt to grow plants, specifically basil, turnips, and Arabidopsis, by the year 2015. NASA says, “If we send plants and they thrive, then we probably can.” By growing plants on the lunar surface, the goal is to observe whether or not it is possible for a life form to exist in space. NASA’s people are creating a small 1kg “self-contained” habitat that will provide the plants with everything they need to grow for five days. The plants will go for a ride on the Moon Express lander (pictured below) and “After landing in late 2015, water will be added to the seeds in the module and their growth will be monitored for 5-10 days and compared to Earth based controls.”
If the plants thrive and grow despite the challenges gravity and lunar radiation present, this will mean huge things for our civilization. An experiment such as this is crucial to colonizing space because if people were ever to have life on the lunar surface, plants are needed for food, water, and air. This will help scientists understand how plants grow in such a different atmosphere (literally), but also the possibility of humans carrying out their lives there. In addition, this experiment will only cost around $2 million, which is significantly less than many of NASA’s other experiments. You can check out this article for more information: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/nasa-to-grow-plants-on-the-moon-by-2015-if-they-can-thrive-we-probably-can-too-8972642.html So, keep an eye out in the news for advancements of this experiment and get excited about the possibility of life on the moon!