Planting a seed in the harsh environment of the Moon and seeing it sprout leaves is an incredible feat! That’s exactly what a Chinese mission recently achieved, which marked the first time a plant has grown on the lunar surface.
Scientists planted a cotton seed and monitored it until it sprouted two leaves. It might not seem like much, but this is a massive milestone in space exploration and an exciting step toward possible future space colonies.
A Tiny Plant Sprouts on the Moon
In January 2019, China’s Chang’e 4 probe (named after the Chinese moon goddess) made the first-ever landing on the Moon’s far side at 10:26 am, as announced by China’s state media. (ref)
The probe touched down in the Von Kármán crater within the South Pole-Aitken Basin. This region, likely formed by a massive asteroid impact, may reveal clues about the Moon’s inner composition.
Launched on December 8, 2018, the mission also carried a biosphere called the Lunar Micro Ecosystem (LME), containing six lifeforms: potato seeds, cotton seeds, rapeseeds, yeast, fruit fly eggs, and Arabidopsis thaliana, a small plant in the mustard family, mimicking Earth-like conditions. (ref)
All the seeds China sent to the Moon died—except the cotton seed, which grew two small leaves before succumbing to the cold after about two weeks. This tiny green shoot sprouted inside a canister on the Chang’e-4 lunar lander, marking the first biological growth on the Moon’s surface. (ref)
The experiment, led by scientist Xie Gengxin, shows the potential to grow plants in space, a major step toward long-term space missions and future outposts on other planets.
The Different Sides of the Moon
China’s Chang’e 4 mission, carrying instruments from China, Sweden, and Germany, is studying the Moon’s environment, cosmic radiation, and solar wind effects. The mission’s rover, Yutu 2 (Jade Rabbit), is conducting experiments in the Von Kármán crater.
China planned more lunar missions, with Chang’e 5 set to return lunar samples to Earth. This mission landed in Oceanus Procellarum, a dark region in the Moon’s northwest. The site, near Mons Rümker, was believed to have young volcanic rocks.
Samples returned to Earth were about 2 billion years old, much younger than the 3.1 to 4.4 billion-year-old samples from NASA’s Apollo missions. (ref)
Successing missions also include Chang’e 6, which collected lunar samples from the far side and successfully returned 4.28 lbs of material to Earth in June 2024.
A study of the Chang’e 6 samples revealed that the far side material is looser and more porous than near-side samples, with more light-colored particles like feldspar and glass. These differences suggest the area was impacted by material from distant regions, such as asteroid impacts.
The far side samples also contain less KREEP (potassium, rare-earth elements, and phosphorus) compared to near-side samples. This difference could help explain why the far side of the Moon is so distinct from the near side.
The researchers concluded that “these insights are expected to lead to new concepts and theories regarding the origin and evolution of the Moon.” (ref) Wu Yanhua, deputy head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), stated at a press conference that peaceful space exploration is a shared global goal.
China aims to collaborate with the international community to develop a sustainable and beneficial space industry, promoting progress for humanity and peaceful development. (ref)
Don’t Miss These:
Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles.