China Made Cotton Seeds Sprout on the Far Side of the Moon

Anyone who closely follows aerospace news probably knows that China sent the Chang'e 4 mission to the far side of the Moon. In addition to achieving the first normal landing in that region, the lunar module activated a "micro ecosystem" measuring 18 by 16 centimeters, containing seeds and insect eggs. In recent hours, its integrated cameras confirmed that the cotton seeds have germinated, turning Chang'e 4 into the first mission to grow an organism on the Moon.

While Western powers order fast food because their budget conflicts don't allow them to keep a simple kitchen open, China writes one chapter after another in the history of space exploration. The Chang'e 4 lunar mission began in May of last year when the CNSA launched the relay satellite Queqiao. The lander and its rover departed in early December, reaching the Moon's surface on January 3, 2019. Their trouble-free visit to the Von Kármán crater made China the first nation to place an intact spacecraft on the far side of the Moon, but that's not all. The module carries several scientific instruments, and one of the most interesting is the micro ecosystem protected by an 18-by-16-centimeter cylinder. What's inside? For starters, cotton is growing...

The total number of organisms inside the ecosystem amounts to six: cotton, potatoes, canola (also known as rapeseed), the cruciferous plant "Arabidopsis thaliana", yeast, and fruit fly eggs. The experiment seeks to establish synergy between insects and plants (producers, consumers, and detritivores), taking into account all critical factors, from the regulation of oxygen and carbon dioxide inside the cylinder (handled by yeast) to the process of photosynthesis, but most importantly it aims to check whether we can grow plants in a low-gravity environment. Any long-term plan for permanence and lunar colonization will require food, and lots of it.

The first plant to see the light was cotton. Never before in history has anything been grown on the Moon, yet scientists expect more similar events. The potatoes, canola, and Arabidopsis seeds show no activity yet, but Chang'e 4 could soon produce the first lunar flower.

Source: South China Morning Post