Recently, according to foreign media reports, NASA will launch the second round of space planting projects. This plan will continue NASA's years of experience in using LED lights to plant plants on the International Space Station, and promote LED plant lighting planting technology to the moon.
To this end, NASA collaborated with Space Lab Technology in Boulder, Colorado to develop an indoor growth module, similar to a small vertical farm, using LED lights as a light source for astronauts to grow three crops on the moon. This will be an important component of the US lunar landing program Artemis III mission.
It is reported that the Artemis III mission will be an important step after the first human landing on the moon. The project is expected to be implemented as early as September 2026, when two astronauts will land on the surface of the moon to carry out a series of tasks, including assembling a horticultural experimental device called "The Impact of the Moon on Agricultural Plants (LEAF)".
NASA officially stated that LEAF will study the impact of the lunar surface environment on space crops, making it the first experiment to observe plant photosynthesis, growth, and stress response. This experiment will be conducted under conditions of space radiation and partial gravity, and the collected data will help scientists understand the potential of planting plants on the moon and other planets to support human nutrition and life support.
Space Lab further explained in a press release that the crops studied in this project are not only used for food purposes, but also for removing CO2, providing oxygen, and helping to purify water sources in the lunar environment.
The Space Lab stated that the experiment included a plant growth chamber with isolated external air, which would plant red and green varieties of turnips, duckweed, and Arabidopsis. Among them, turnip cabbage includes other edible plant species such as cabbage, cabbage, water spinach, turnip, water spinach, etc. NASA astronauts are familiar with how to grow and consume this plant vegetable on the International Space Station.
To protect plants from the extreme environment of the moon, the growth module provides a closed environment that isolates the moon's radiation, extreme temperatures, sunlight, and weak gravity. This experiment will enable crops to grow to the seedling stage, laying the foundation for future space planting.
In addition to the LEAF Growth Module project, NASA also plans to send two additional sets of scientific equipment for monitoring seismic activity and electrical characteristics in the Artemis III mission. The Artemis III mission is scheduled to land at the South Pole of the Moon. Prior to this, the Artemis II mission, a manned lunar circumnavigation mission, is expected to be launched as early as September 2025, paving the way for the Artemis III mission.
