The Farming Mission on the Moon Will Take Place in 2026

NEW YORK – NASA has set out the first three science experiments to be carried out on the moon in the Artemis 3 mission which will take place in 226. One of the most interesting is an agricultural experiment that will study how space crops grow on an exotic moon.

As reported by Space on Sunday (31/3/2024), the experiment was nicknamed LEAF (Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora). NASA says LEAF will be the first experiment to observe plant photosynthesis, growth and systemic stress responses in space radiation and partial gravity.

“Data on plant growth and development, as well as environmental parameters measured with LEAF, will help scientists understand the usefulness of plants grown on the moon for human nutrition and supporting life on the moon and beyond,” NASA officials said in their official statement.

Unfortunately, it is not explained how technical the experiments will be carried out by astronauts on the Moon. But what is certain is that while running LEAF, two other new experiments that will be carried out are the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) and the Lunar Dielectric Analyzer (LDA).

ILEMS is a series of autonomous seismometers that will detect moonquakes up to two years after use. This will characterize the regional structure of the lunar crust and mantle, which will add valuable information to lunar formation and evolutionary models.

Meanwhile, LDA will measure the ability of lunar regolith, the top layer of lunar dust and gravel, to propagate electric fields. The instrument will collect important information about the lunar subsurface structure, monitoring dielectric changes caused by changes in the sun’s angle as the moon rotates and looking for possible frost or ice deposits.

The instrument will be placed near the moon’s south pole, a region thought to be rich in water ice that could support one or more crewed outposts. While the exact location is unknown, NASA has not yet announced the final landing location for the Artemis 3 mission, which will use SpaceX’s Starship vehicle to carry astronauts from lunar orbit down to the surface and back again.

And there’s no guarantee that LEAF, LEMS and LDA will fly on Artemis 3. That’s the current plan, but a final decision on the mission will be made at a later date, given that Artemis 3’s own crew has also not been announced, although NASA says the mission will land a woman and a person of color on the moon for the first time.

(wbs)