Australian scientists are trying to grow plants on the Moon by 2025 in a new
mission unveiled Friday that they said could help pave the way for a future
colony.
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Plant biologist Brett Williams, from the Queensland University of
Technology, said seeds would be carried by the Beresheet 2 spacecraft.
They would be watered inside the sealed chamber after landing and monitored
for signs of germination and growth.
Plants will be chosen based on how well they cope in extreme conditions, and
how quickly they germinate, he said.
One likely choice is an Australian "resurrection grass" that can
survive without water in a dormant state.
"The project is an early step towards growing plants for food, medicine
and oxygen production, which are all crucial to establishing human life on the
moon," the researchers said in a statement.
Caitlin Byrt, an Associate Professor from the Australian National University
in Canberra, said the research was also relevant to food security fears driven
by climate change.
"If you can create a system for growing plants on the moon, then you
can create a system for growing food in some of the most challenging
environments on Earth," Byrt said in a statement.
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