Overview

One of the goals humans dream of the most is to be an interplanetary species, to leave Earth and establish ourselves on other worlds around the galaxy. This herculean odyssey has only just begun. We’re about to return humans to the Moon, preparing for a crewed visit to Mars, and already growing food in outer space. Yes, you read that right.

In 2019, a Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the Moon, carrying a small greenhouse where life made its way, defying the hostility of the frigid and radiant conditions.

The science and other stuff to know

The Chinese spacecraft Chang’e-4 landed on the Moon in January 2019. Inside, it carried a small device similar to a garden greenhouse. The Lunar Micro Ecosystem (LME) was a cylinder with 18 cm (7.1 in) long and 16 cm (6.3 in) in diameter that contained fertilized soil and potato seeds, cotton, fruit fly eggs, and yeast, among other things.

The objective of the Chinese National Space Administration mission was to learn about the biological capacity of these organisms to develop in an environment with microgravity, radiation, and extreme cold. Inside the ship, more or less favorable temperature conditions were maintained, but the -170° C of outer space did not go unnoticed.

Of all the organisms, only one of the cotton seeds thrived, sprouting and giving birth to two small leaves. Within 14 Earth days, however, the bud died. Subsequent investigations indicated that the main factor was low temperature, but scientists still do not know the possible impacts of radiation.

In the International Space Station, it had already been possible to germinate and grow grains and even flowers. Still, the habitat designed to ensure optimal human survival inside it did not represent more challenges than microgravity.

So what?

Learning about how organisms like small insects and seeds respond to hostility from outer space is crucial to developing future permanent-settlement missions to the Moon. In our space crusade, a lunar base is the necessary first step in expanding our space presence. That will require us to grow our food and find ways to provide ourselves with heat, oxygen, radiation protection, and water.

Xie Gengxin is the experiment’s leader and stated in an interview for IEEE Spectrum that he planned to include a tortoise on the trip, but the characteristics of the probe did not allow it. The goal was to study the response of a larger organism in the lunar space environment.

What’s next?

Biological experiments continue to advance, and all the organizations that regulate space activity are interested in developing this field. Astronauts are already growing plants on the ISS; NASA assures two crewed missions in the upcoming years with its Artemis program. Furthermore, China and Russia are collaborating on a lunar base, International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The projects are getting more ambitious with objectives and experiments that account for the sustainability of life to make its way into the most remote places in the universe.