For the first time in history, scientists are growing plants in soil collected from the moon, a critical step forward in space exploration. The experiment was conducted jointly by NASA and the University of Florida. The researchers used soil samples collected from the Apollo 11, 12 and 17 missions to grow mustard’s close relative, Arabidopsis thaliana.

The team allocated just one gram of lunar soil or regolith for each plant. They add water and seeds to soil samples, which are then placed in cleanroom glass containers,” NASA said in a May 12 statement. The solution must be added to the nutrient-poor soil daily.

Two days later, the seeds sprouted, to the researchers’ surprise. “I can’t tell you how surprised we were,” said Anna-Lisa Paul, a professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida. “In the lunar samples and controls, every plant looked the same until day six.”

After the sixth day, it became clear to the researchers that the plants were not as strong as those grown in Earth’s soil. “These plants grew more slowly and had stunted roots; some leaves were stunted and pigmented,” NASA said. Still, the experiment has essential implications for NASA’s space exploration goals.

“We need to use the resources on the moon and Mars to develop food sources for future astronauts living and operating in deep space,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. This basic plant growth research is also an important example of how NASA works. Committed to unlocking innovation in agriculture and helping us understand how plants can overcome stressful conditions in food-deficit regions of the planet. ” The experimental results have been published in the journal Communications Biology.