The European Space Agency and Norway-based Solsys Mining want turn the moon into a suitable place for farming. If all goes well, astronauts will need to know the basics of agriculture in order to grow food on our natural satellite. According to the ESA, the goal is to use the lunar soil as fertilizer for hydroponic crops.

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Hydroponic growing involves growing plants in nutrient-rich water rather than soil. The research project is studying the best ways to use the nutrients present in the lunar soil. Previous research has already shown that plants can indeed grow on the moon, but with some difficulty. The main problem is to replenish stocks of some nitrogen compounds for efficient farming.

farming on the moon

Since the lunar soil is very dense, making it difficult for roots to grow, ESA and Solsys Mining Believe Hydroponics is the Solution, without ceasing to think of the lunar soil as fertilizer. The idea is to create an efficient technique to remove nutrients from lunar soil so that it can be dissolved in water, the researchers say. The process will be carried out by the astronauts themselves at the lunar station.

The nutrient-rich water will be pumped to the greenhouse where the hydroponic cultivation will take place. According to the agency, the development of efficient agriculture is necessary to sustain a human presence on the Moon for extended periods of time. “This work is essential for future long-term lunar exploration,” said Małgorzata Cholinska, ESA materials and technology engineer. “Achieving a sustainable presence on the Moon will require the use of local resources and access to the nutrients present in the lunar soil.[…] The current study is a trial run using available lunar soil simulators, paving the way for more detailed studies in the future.”

If the research shows good results, in the next missions to the Moon, within the next decade, who knows, maybe we will witness the efficient cultivation of plants on the Moon using hydroponic farming. Of course, it is interesting to imagine the progress of research and think about everything that will be produced in space.

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Source: Gizmodo

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