A new hydroponics method to farm on the moon
Added on 01 March 2023
The new method could form a crucial part of NASA's plans to establish a permanent presence on the moon with its upcoming Artemis program missions.
Cultivating lunar soil
The new project draws from previous research on growing plants in lunar soil. This is an incredibly challenging undertaking because lunar soil lacks nitrogen compounds that are partially responsible for plant growth on Earth.
ESA, Solsys Mining, Norway's Geotechnical Institute, and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Space have all teamed up in a bid to develop a new method for growing plants in lunar soil using hydroponics.
Hydroponics is a method whereby plants are grown in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. It has been utilized for vertical farming facilities, and now, it could help to cultivate land on the moon.
The new study, led by ESA, is studying the best methods for extracting the highest amounts of nutrients from lunar soil for this method. It has a budget of €100,000 ($106,000 approx.) and is expected to last until the end of 2023.
Image: An artist's impression of the lunar farming method. Credit: Solsys Mining
More news
