Scientists from Australia and Israel have teamed up to grow plants on the Moon by 2025, thus ensuring food security for the planned lunar colonies. Seeds of a few plants will be sent on the Beresheet 2 spacecraft, which is targeted for launch in 2025 as part of Israel's Moon mission. According to plant biologist Brett Williams from the Queensland University of Technology, the seeds will be watered inside a sealed chamber, and their germination and growth will be monitored.
Williams further revealed that the plants will be chosen based on their ability to survive hostile conditions and their rate of growth. The Australian "resurrection grass" has emerged as the favorite candidate, as it can survive without water even in its 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 an official statement announcing the mission. "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," said Caitlin Byrt, an Associate Professor from the Australian National University in Canberra.
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