#regolith

#regolith

Plants Can Grow in Lunar Soil (on Earth)Scientists from the University of Florida have managed to grow plants of the speciesArabidopsis thaliana, or the hardy thale cress, in lunar regolith, which we know as moon dust. Now wait a minute, where did they get moon dust? From the moon, silly. This regolith was brought back by the Apollo missions 50 years ago, and it is still powering experiments here on earth. The plants are not as robust as those grown in earth soil, nor in volcanic ash, but they are growing. This research is aimed at how we can harness the moon's own resources to grow food for possible lunar visitors or even settlers. These plants were grown using seeds, regolith, water, nutrients, and artificial light, only one of which is available on the moon. But it's a step in the right direction. My question is: has the regolith undergone any changes in the 50 years since it was brought to earth? Read more about this experiment at NASA. (Image credit: UF/IFAS photo by Tyler Jones)#lunarsoil #regolith #NASA #plant #moondust

The 'Gold Rush' of Commercial Mining on the Moon has Begun: NASA Paid $0.10 to Lunar Outpost to Collect Moon RockThere’s going to be a mine on the moon in the future!NASA has awarded Lunar Outpost a 10 cent check for a space resource contract. In exchange, the Colorado-based space startup will obtain various lunar resources such as lunar dust or regolith, for the agency. According to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, the space startup will "collect a small amount of moon dust, verify the collection and transfer the ownership of that lunar regolith." The resources are for future space exploration projects. In addition, the collected regolith will play a key role in NASA’s Artemis program. Nelson says that “the ability to extract and use extraterrestrial resources will ensure Artemis operations can be conducted safely and sustainably in support of human exploration."The lunar resource can be used in the future as a type of cement to build facilities. Another lunar resource, water ice, can be used to create rocket fuel.Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls#Space #Moon #LunarMining #Regolith #LunarOutpost #NASA