Amazing feat! NASA Lunar soil experiment achieves the impossible, brings life

A group of NASA funded scientists have been able to grow plants in lunar soil for the first time ever. Yes, they brought plants to life on this dead soil. This is no minor feat and it was considered an impossible task due to the poor nutrient content in the moon’s soil.

The plant grown is called Arabidopsis thaliana, which is a well-studied plant by the scientists. The major feat was achieved by a NASA funded group of scientists at the University of Florida. Scientists used just 12 of lunar soil borrowed from Apollo missions. (AP)

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1/5 The plant grown is called Arabidopsis thaliana, which is a well-studied plant by the scientists. The major feat was achieved by a NASA funded group of scientists at the University of Florida. Scientists used just 12 of lunar soil borrowed from Apollo missions. (AP)

The idea of growing plants in the lunar soil dates back almost fifty years to the Apollo missions, according to NASA. It was the vision of the scientists who were involved in the Apollo programme to bring back lunar soil, called Regolith, with its missions and save it for future research. (AP)

2/5 The idea of growing plants in the lunar soil dates back almost fifty years to the Apollo missions, according to NASA. It was the vision of the scientists who were involved in the Apollo programme to bring back lunar soil, called Regolith, with its missions and save it for future research. (AP)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said “This research is critical to NASA’s long-term human exploration goals as we’ll need to use resources found on the Moon and Mars to develop food sources for future astronauts living and operating in deep space.” He added “This fundamental plant growth research is also a key example of how NASA is working to unlock agricultural innovations that could help us understand how plants might overcome stressful conditions in food-scarce areas here on Earth.” (AP)

3/5 NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said “This research is critical to NASA’s long-term human exploration goals as we’ll need to use resources found on the Moon and Mars to develop food sources for future astronauts living and operating in deep space.” He added “This fundamental plant growth research is also a key example of how NASA is working to unlock agricultural innovations that could help us understand how plants might overcome stressful conditions in food-scarce areas here on Earth.” (AP)

Robert Ferl, a professor at the University of Florida said “Here we are, 50 years later, completing experiments that were started back in the Apollo labs, we first asked the question of whether plants can grow in regolith. And second, how might that one day help humans have an extended stay on the Moon.” (REUTERS)

4/5 Robert Ferl, a professor at the University of Florida said “Here we are, 50 years later, completing experiments that were started back in the Apollo labs, we first asked the question of whether plants can grow in regolith. And second, how might that one day help humans have an extended stay on the Moon.” (REUTERS)

By growing plants in the lunar soil, scientists have proved it is possible to grow plants in the Regolith. Although not as strong or nutrient-rich as those grown on Earth soil, this feat has paved a way for the very real possibility of growing plants on different planets someday and maybe even establishing fully fledged colonies. (AP)

5/5 By growing plants in the lunar soil, scientists have proved it is possible to grow plants in the Regolith. Although not as strong or nutrient-rich as those grown on Earth soil, this feat has paved a way for the very real possibility of growing plants on different planets someday and maybe even establishing fully fledged colonies. (AP)