As there is no oxygen and less soil farming on the moon was thought to be impossible the moon. European Space Agency ( ESA) a discovery project led by Norway’s Solsys mining is looking into treatment of lunar soil for growing plants. Sooner or later, settlers on the Mon will have to become farmers. This comes with a good news that after analysis of lunar samples returned to Earth in the past by Moonwalkers and robots show there are essential minerals available for plant growth. But the bad news is that lunar soil compacts in presence of water creating problems for plant germination and root growth.
This will be called hydroponic farming which involves feeding plant roots directly with nutrient rich water. Research in Space ( CIRis) involves studying a combination of mechanical, chemical and biological processes to extract mineral nutrients from the regolith. Valuable elements might need concentrating before use which undesirable ones will be removed. “This work is essential for future long-term lunar exploration,” comments ESA materials and processes engineer Malgorzata Holynska. Achieving a sustainable presence on the Moon will involve local resources and gaining access to nutrient presence in lunar regolith with the potential to help cultivate plants. The current study represents a proof of principal using available lunar regolith simulants which will open a way more detailed research in the future.
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The project came about as an idea submitted through ESA’s Open Space innovation platform. It is now funded by Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities.With these analysis sooner or later farming on the moon will be possible.
