NASA will use space technology to cultivate plants on the lunar surface when the Artemis III launch occurs in 2026, according to a Daily Mail article.
The innovative initiative known as LEAF, or Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora, is underway. It will investigate the viability of cultivating plants in a miniature lunar greenhouse in an effort to write a new chapter in the history of space travel.
Three experiments were selected to be launched to the moon in 2026, including LEAF, which was created by Colorado’s Space Lab Technologies.
The intended plants, which include Brassica rapa, thale cress, and duckweed, will be housed in a shielded growing chamber to safeguard them from potential space threats and to enable real-time development monitoring.
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy highlights the significance of these tests from a scientific standpoint by highlighting their role in solving the most pressing issue related to lunar and interplanetary exploration.
The miraculous plant known as duckweed has a higher protein content than most food crops and is resilient to many obstacles. As a result, duckweed is the preferred food crop for upcoming space colonies due to its sustainability as an oxygen and food source. The cousin of broccoli and cabbage that grows quickly, Brassica rapa, has a better chance than ever of finding effective space homes away from Earth.
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