Farming on the Moon

To stay long-term on the Moon humans will need to produce food there. Is it possible to grow plants in environments very different from earth? With support from the Discovery element of ESA's basic activities, SolSys Mining studied the chemical treatment of lunar soil simulants to create fertiliser for growing plants.

The Norwegian research team looked into hydroponic farming, or growing plants in nutrient-rich water, without the need of soil. The lunar dust can be a good local source for some the nutrients needed, such as phosphorus. The challenge is how to efficiently extract the useful elements while discarding those that are toxic for the plants. 

The project was proposed through ESA's Open Space Innovation Platform, which seeks out promising new ideas for space research, and was funded by the Discovery element of ESA's Basic Activities.