Plant the Moon

by Nicole Ayers, 7th & 8th Grade Math and Science

What would it take to grow plants on the moon? Is it as simple as dropping seeds and sprinkling water into moon dust, or is plant growth more complex than this? These are just a few of the questions students must answer as they embark upon a global challenge to Plant the Moon!

We received a shipment of simulated lunar regolith (moon dust) and have accepted the challenge of designing and conducting an experiment to grow plants in this inhospitable media. It is void of all of the nutrients, organic matter, and microbes necessary for plant growth. Can we bring it to life in a manner that could transfer to a future moon colony? If so, we have the opportunity to present our research to a panel of NASA scientists and other experts!

As part of our research, we had the privilege of an online web-conference with Dr. Wieger Wamelink, an ecologist and exobiologist at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. Dr. Wamelink was the first person to prove that plants could be grown in simulated Mars and lunar soils. It was an honor to hear about his experiments and exchanged a few questions and answers with this pioneering researcher.

We also received a special donation for our project from the AquaSprouts company: FOUR aquaponics gardening systems in which to conduct our experiments! The students have been hard at work researching and constructing mini-ecosystems on their quest to Plant the Moon!