NASA to grow plants on the MOON: Astronauts will plant cress, duckweed and brassica on the lunar surface on the Artemis III mission in 2026

You might struggle keep a pot plant alive in your living room, but the next humans to step foot on the moon will have a far greater gardening challenge.  

NASA will grow plants including duckweed, cress and brassica in a mini lunar greenhouse when the Artemis III mission returns humans to the moon.

Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora, or LEAF, is one of the three experiments that have been chosen to go to the moon in 2026. 

This will be the first time that the American space agency has attempted to grow plants on the moon - and could be the key to feeding future space missions. 

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy says: 'These three deployed instruments were chosen to begin scientific investigations that will address key Moon to Mars science objectives.'

NASA has announced plans to grow plants on the moon as part of the Artemis III mission which will return humans to the lunar surface, as illustrated in this NASA artist's concept

The LEAF experiment has been designed by Colorado-based Space Lab Technologies to test how different plants hold up to space conditions.  

Astronauts will deploy a series of 'growth chambers', each containing a sample of either thale cress, duckweed, or red and green Brassica rapa - also known as rapeseed or Wisconsin fast plant. 

These capsules will protect the plants from excess radiation, sunlight, and the vacuum of space while allowing astronauts to monitor their growth.  

It is hoped that the three plants selected could each play an important role in establishing human colonies beyond the limits of Earth. 

Space Lab Technologies vice president Christine Escobar says: 'This research will be a pivotal step toward understanding how we might use agriculture in space to support human crew, paving the way for sustained Lunar exploration and even missions to Mars.'

Thale cress has been chosen because its entire genetic code has been fully mapped.

This means scientists will be able to tell if exposure to radiation has caused any mutations in the DNA - a big concern beyond the protection of Earth's magnetic field.

NASA selected thale cress to use for space experiments since it has been fully genetically mapped, this means scientists can easily see if it has been mutated by space radiation 

Duckweed, meanwhile, has no roots or stems. 

And combined with its spherical shape, it is hoped that the world's smallest flowering plant might prove particularly resilient to space conditions.

Extremely hardy and fast-growing, duckweed often spreads to cover entire ponds and lakes on Earth.

In space, however, duckweed is not a nuisance but rather a high-protein crop and a potential source of massive amounts of oxygen.

Alongside Brassica rapa - a fast-growing relative of cabbage and broccoli - these could provide both the nutrition and life-support systems for a future space colony. 

Ms Escobar adds that Space Lab Technologies plans to create the 'resources that people need to live and work in space sustainably, so that they can explore further and stay longer.'

Duckweed (pictured) has no stems or roots, it is hoped that this will make it uniquely resistant to low-gravity space conditions

This is not the first time that plants have been grown in space, but it is NASA's first attempt to grow plants on the lunar surface.

Over the years, numerous experiments aboard the International Space Station have grown everything from radishes to sunflowers in micro-gravity.

In 2022, a NASA-funded study managed to grow plants in samples of lunar surface material, also known as regolith.

While the plants were not as sturdy as those grown in Earth's soil they were able to sprout and survive in the mix of rock, minerals, and glass that makes up lunar regolith. 

And, in 2019, China's space agency even managed to germinate a cotton sprout on the dark side of the moon aboard the Chang'e 4 mission.

However, the plant was killed before more observations could be made when the capsule suffered a thermal control failure.  

NASA has successfully grown a relative of cress in lunar surface material, or regolith, although the plants (pictured) were not as hardy as those grown in Earth's soil 

The other two missions due to accompany LEAF are the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) and the Lunar Dielectric Analyzer (LDA).

The LEMS is a set of autonomous seismometers that will keep a careful watch for moonquakes in order to get a better understanding of the moon's structure.

The LDA will measure the regolith's ability to propagate an electrical field which is a key property in the search for ice and other volatiles. 

If all goes to plan, these three experiments will land on the lunar surface alongside four astronauts at an as-yet-unconfirmed spot somewhere around the Moon's south pole.

It is believed that this region could hold water in ice deposits which would be vital to establishing a long-term presence on the lunar satellite. 

Brassica rapa (pictured), also known as rapeseed, is an extremely quick-growing relative of cabbage and could demonstrate whether food crops can be grown on the moon 

Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, says: 'These three scientific instruments will be our first opportunity since Apollo to leverage the unique capabilities of human explorers to conduct transformative lunar science.'

However, NASA maintains that there is no guarantee that any of the experiments will fly aboard Artemis III as 'manifesting decisions' will be made at a later date.

The human crew, who will be the first to return to the moon since 1972, is also yet to be announced.

NASA has suggested that at least one of the crew will be female and another a person of colour.

Separately, NASA has made some suggestions that a British astronaut may set foot on the moon as part of an American mission before 2030. 

Ms Melroy adds: 'Artemis marks a bold new era of exploration, where human presence amplifies scientific discovery.

'With these innovative instruments stationed on the Moon’s surface, we’re embarking on a transformative journey.'