Bringing Plants to the Moon in 2026

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Did you know that astronauts from the Artemis 3 program are planning to build a mini greenhouse on the Moon’s surface? If all goes according to plan, this groundbreaking mission will take place in 2026. NASA recently announced their selection of three scientific experiments that will be deployed on the Moon’s surface during the Artemis 3 mission, including the LEAF (Lunar Environmental Effects on Agriculture and Plants) experiment. LEAF aims to study the behavior of plant life in the lunar environment.

Sẽ mang cây trồng lên Mặt trăng năm 2026- Ảnh 1.

LEAF will be the first experiment to observe photosynthesis, growth, and stress responses of plants in the radiation and low-gravity conditions of space. “The data collected on plant growth and development, along with environmental parameters measured by LEAF, will help scientists understand how to use plants grown on the Moon to provide nutrition for humans, support life, and much more,” stated NASA officials.

Interestingly, LEAF is not the first plant experiment on the Moon. China sent cotton plants to the far side of the Moon during the Chang’e 4 mission in January 2019. Additionally, the Lunar Environmental Monitoring Station (LEMS) will be an automatic seismic detector used to monitor lunar earthquakes. NASA officials believe LEMS will provide valuable information on the structure and evolution of the Moon.

Meanwhile, the Lunar Dust Atmosphere (LDA) experiment will measure the conductivity of the lunar regolith, the top layer of dust and rock on the Moon’s surface. “This experiment will gather essential information about the structure of the lunar regolith layer, monitoring any changes in its electrical conductivity,” according to NASA.

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These experiments could be deployed near the Moon’s southern pole, an area believed to have abundant water ice, which could support one or more crewed lunar bases. The exact location is yet to be determined, as NASA has not yet announced the final landing site for the Artemis 3 mission.

It’s important to note that there is no guarantee that experiments like LEAF, LEMS, and LDA will be officially included in Artemis 3. While these are the current plans, final decisions are still pending.

To stay updated on this exciting development in space exploration, visit Business Today.