The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is currently undertaking medium and long-term efforts to take humanity back to the Moon. After the Artemis project, which aims to achieve crewed landings on the Moon, NASA’s next step is to establish sustainable projects. One of the biggest obstacles in their way is the food problem, and NASA is working to find a permanent solution to this.
To grow food on the Moon, NASA plans to process lunar soil using a mechanical separation system
NASA is already laying the foundation for permanent projects on the Moon. However, transporting food for astronauts from Earth is not a sustainable solution. It would occupy a significant amount of space in the spacecraft and would not be feasible for projects lasting months. To address this issue, NASA is partnering with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Solsys Mining, a space company, to establish the necessary system for growing food on the Moon. The project will be conducted on the Moon’s soil known as regolith. The regolith will undergo a special mechanical separation system because it does not contain bacteria.
Malgorzata Holynska, a materials and process engineer at ESA, stated the following regarding the topic:
“This work is crucial for future long-term lunar exploration. Achieving a sustainable presence on the Moon will involve utilizing local resources and accessing the nutrients present in lunar regolith, which has the potential to assist in plant growth.”
Regolith, which does not contain bacteria or other living matter, has a low nitrogen content. Additionally, it does not react to water in a way similar to soil. With the processing of regolith, researchers expect to create a suitable environment for the growth of certain plants. In fact, they have already succeeded in cultivating a resilient plant called Arabidopsis thaliana on this soil.
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