The dream of establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon is driving scientific research in search of innovative solutions. One of the most pressing needs for astronauts on extended missions is feeding, and space agencies are working hard to develop methods of growing food on the lunar surface.
One of the pioneering companies in this field is Solsys Mining, a Norwegian company that has partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to research and develop techniques for cultivating plants on the Moon. Collaboration between both entities is essential to achieve a sustainable presence on our natural satellite in the long term.
ESA materials and process engineer Malgorzata Holynska, quoted in Slash Gearhighlights the importance of this work. According to Holynska, harnessing local resources and nutrients present in the lunar regolith (top layer of lunar soil) could be key to successful plant cultivation on the Moon.
This approach would allow astronauts to meet their food needs without having to rely exclusively on supplies sent from Earth.
The key to the lunar regolith
Lunar regolith has some different properties than terrestrial soil. For example, has no bacteria or other living matter and has less nitrogen. Both are problems for growing plants, since they need nitrogen to grow and life in the soil, such as worms, helps to aerate it.
The regolith also reacts differently to water than it does to soil, as it tends to compact rather than absorb it. That is why many suggestions for growing on the Moon have suggested use a hydroponic systemin which plants are grown in nutrient-filled water instead of soil, so they don’t actually come into contact with regolith.
But it would be more efficient find a way to use the regolith of the moon, instead of carrying all the necessary materials for hydroponics. The Solsys Mining system uses a mechanical classification system and a chemical processing section, whereby the regolith goes through a series of processes that extract the necessary nutrients from it. The extracted nutrients are then turned into a fertilizer that can be used in a hydroponic system.
This way, the regolith can be processed and useful nutrients can be extracted from it, so that the plants can grow in the hydroponic system and be fed with the fertilizer made from the readily available regolith.
The idea of establishing vegetable gardens on the Moon would not only solve the feeding challenge, but would also provide astronauts with a fresh and sustainable source of food during their extended stay. Additionally, growing plants on the Moon could have additional benefits, such as oxygen production and air purification within lunar habitats.