A great constituent of farsighted condition space change of location will be the ability to adequately feed the gang . This stand for that astronaut will be creditworthy for grow their own produce in space , but first we ask to build on what we ’ve discovered about plant life increment from the International Space Station to grow plants under extreme conditions in place . This will have significant implications for longterm visits to other planetary trunk like the Sun Myung Moon and Mars .
NASA’sLunar Plant Growth Habitatis standardized to a miniaturized greenhouse . A certain container the size of it of a coffee can will take soil ( from Earth ) , nutrients , pee , and strain to germinate the seeds . Rather than use unreal grow lamps , the plants will use lifelike sunlight . These habitats will not be capable to sustain full - spring up plants , but they will determine if it is possible for the seed to spud in fond gravity under extremely controlled conditions while account for the radiation that could impact ontogenesis .
The experiment will use a compounding of sweet basil , sunflower , turnip , and arabidopsis semen . These cum were chosen based on their hardiness and quick germination times . Cameras inside the habitat will document the plant outgrowth , while a variety of detector will monitor body of water level and temperature .
Does it seem like a thriftlessness to launch a mission to the lunar month just to deposit a coffee can - sized habitat ? NASA thinks so . In 2015 , the success of theGoogle Lunar X Prizecompetition will bestow the home ground with it , making this mission extremelybudget - friendlyfor NASA . Between the years of research , growth , public relations , and the military mission itself , it will finish up costing the way less than $ 2 million .
In straight NASA fashion , there will be considerable residential district outreach for this experimentation . Across the United States , K-12 classroomswill be able to contrive , work up , and evaluate plant habitats of their own . NASA has developed elaborate age - appropriate object lesson plans to help oneself guide teacher through the mental process . This is n’t just a fun way to get pupil require ; it ’s actually helping out NASA as well . Rather than have NASA replicate ascendancy experiment on their own , the student will become genuine citizen scientist and will crowdsource the control information . After the experiment , students will receive a certification of pass completion from NASA .
