As NASA ramps up the Artemis program, growing plants using water and soil from the moon could become a necessity during longer duration stays there. When space biologists recently grew plants in actual moon soil, it was a game changer. WIRED spoke with Sharmila Bhattacharya to find out exactly how they did it.
Director: Lisandro Perez-Ray
Director of Photography: Kevin Dynia
Editor: Richard Trammell
Expert: Sharmila Bhattacharya
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Samantha Vélez
Production Manager: Eric Martinez
Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
Junior Editor: Paul Tael
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Davna
September 7, 2022 at 5:38 pm
Ok, who wants to make a bet with me that this ? I want to bet that this is just phase one of a project to terraform the moon so that rich people can move there and poor people can stay on earth with the polluted air and everything else. Earth will be the ghetto and the moon will be the rich neighborhood.
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Hermit Crab
September 7, 2022 at 5:43 pm
Obviously the Moon is a stepping stone outwards to Mars etc.. Obviously you need electro-magnetic fields to survive in space.
Wait we don’t have sweet tatties on Mars yet? We’re toast…
Justin
September 7, 2022 at 5:44 pm
Would a very large amount of human activity (building structures, altering terrain shapes) influence tides or anything that the moon affects us here on earth?
GamerbyDesign
September 7, 2022 at 6:23 pm
The earth has much more mass than the moon so I doubt it.
Alex Parker
September 7, 2022 at 7:59 pm
no
Tostas300
September 7, 2022 at 7:59 pm
In theory it would, in practice we would never be able to notice it. For example, the moon which roughly has a mass of 8.09942316 × 10^19 tons (a lot) would hardly be any more massive if we built the heaviest building we have on earth there ( that’s around 4.10 million tons), in short at most the tides and such would maybe change by a micrometer or something but nothing more
Mae Milev
September 7, 2022 at 5:45 pm
*Highly doubt those are moon soil collected by Apollo. Thats is why they need to go to moon to prove it!*
babecat2000
September 7, 2022 at 6:35 pm
Wrong
Lou Zeffer
September 7, 2022 at 5:50 pm
Brilliant!
Home Wall
September 7, 2022 at 5:59 pm
Good luck trying to live off growing plants in space. They will all starve. The energy density just isn’t there for the amount of plants that would be needed when you lose meat as a source of dense energy.
James T
September 7, 2022 at 6:03 pm
Got to get the rocket off the ground first… seems more difficult than Boeing thought or were paid for 🤦♂️
beth the fam
September 7, 2022 at 6:08 pm
Oh wow that is remarkable discovery. I hope you can find a way. Keep discovering and happy discoveries I hope in the future. I am wowed at the discovery. I hope things gets better!!
Cooller
September 7, 2022 at 10:14 pm
I’m wowed how dull they actually are… they don’t need soil to grow anything, it doesn’t make sense…
Matts Channel
September 7, 2022 at 6:12 pm
Ha ha they gotta get to the moon first 🤣 good luck with that
babecat2000
September 7, 2022 at 6:34 pm
Wrong they have been there.
Matts Channel
September 7, 2022 at 7:28 pm
@babecat2000 pah ha ha ha 😂 do you honestly believe that?
babecat2000
September 7, 2022 at 10:17 pm
@Matts Channel yes I believe science.
shanil syed
September 7, 2022 at 10:22 pm
Thanks I’ll use it to go even further 😁
Big Sandy
September 7, 2022 at 6:17 pm
Im wondering what they will do about the dust problem with the space suits and spaceship
Aimee Friedman
September 7, 2022 at 6:51 pm
Ooooh if you wanna get high you vacation to the moon, like Amsterdam!
z DOC
September 7, 2022 at 7:04 pm
That Indian lady has locked down a california accent
balkanwitch
September 8, 2022 at 12:21 am
Maybe cos shes american??? Lmao
熟肉CookedMeat（にく）
September 7, 2022 at 7:08 pm
I know it was suppose to be an artistic expression but it’s hilarious if you take the thumbnail seriously.
Where is the astronaut planting that? In the dusts and sand?
What does he have in the watering can? Frozen water?
How’s the plant gonna survive? Feeding on cosmic rays?
It raises so many questions lol.
BadMan
September 7, 2022 at 7:08 pm
Grow on earth first
Bell Woods
September 7, 2022 at 7:14 pm
I shed tears for the moon because I believe every star and planet is a soul. Can’t even take care of your own planet and now you wanna destroy another one.
babecat2000
September 7, 2022 at 10:17 pm
There is nothing there to distroy
Bell Woods
September 7, 2022 at 10:48 pm
@babecat2000 It is only “nothing there” to someone who is blind. That’s okay, we all evolve at different speeds on our soul’s journey. You will catch up one day.
Notta Chancinelle
September 7, 2022 at 10:49 pm
humans on earth cannot exist without the pull of the moon, sad indeed.
I'm dumb, but
September 7, 2022 at 10:53 pm
@Bell Woods I can’t take you seriously when you use the word “soul” to describe a celestial object, but yes I agree. (Also “we all evolve at different speeds… you will catch up one day” that was so agressive wtf lmao)
Tom Fotheringham
September 7, 2022 at 7:26 pm
There has been no successful biosphere for humans on Earth yet. Why not start here?
like a rock cm
September 7, 2022 at 8:46 pm
Hard to be optimistic about colonies even on the moon ,much less Mars. Use that money to improve this planet .Yea like that will ever happen !
Unli Mited
September 7, 2022 at 11:35 pm
Most problems on earth are frown upon, declared “non profitable”, not worth pursuing, time consuming, etc… and going into the most hostile environment for life, with crappy technology, limited weight to embark, no pragmatic knowledge, no resource backup/lines, etc… is a goal they are happy to venture? Doesn’t make sense.
(if the goal is to land near a rare element/molecular deposit, mine it and get richer on earth with the less suspicion possible… yes, that is what they do everywhere on the planet.) Something if very fishy here, and is not the odor the regolith of the moon through your astronaut visor!
I think they prefer to try and grab any unattainable miracle resources (that they think unlimited and free) in a menacing environment, than begin to gather the wisdom and personal change to deal with Earth current problems (that are caused by their foolish behaviors of expansion without limits, segregation, or never thinking long term & true sustainability)
What The Function
September 7, 2022 at 9:18 pm
is the moon still running low on gravity?
Stas Vas
September 7, 2022 at 9:32 pm
Никуда они не улетят и ничего нигде не вырастят без русских двигателей XDD
babecat2000
September 7, 2022 at 10:16 pm
Nope
Gio6
September 7, 2022 at 10:32 pm
And that’s why it’s inevitable that human kind will become vegan.
TheRealRedAce 01
September 8, 2022 at 12:24 am
No water, no air, several hundred degree temperature variance, nonsensical.
Peaches
September 8, 2022 at 12:53 am
please do more botony vids i love them!!
The Greenish Knight
September 8, 2022 at 1:13 am
Just imagine one day looking at the moon, and seeing the color green.
Misha
September 8, 2022 at 7:34 am
That’d be heavenly ✨️
Rudy Yeye
September 8, 2022 at 1:25 am
The cable management is so ugly in space…
Brett
September 8, 2022 at 1:41 am
That woman is ANNOYING!
Brett
September 8, 2022 at 1:50 am
Artemis is a dead end. NASA should be investing in Starship. That’s the future of space travel. Altho, on second thought, getting NASA involved in Starship, it’ll doom it.
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Danielys Gonzalez Dominicci
September 8, 2022 at 3:31 am
How is the puzzle of the moon easier than what we need to achieve here on Earth like fracking, for example; the source of all mayor health crisis at micro and macro level, global warming, mining, extracting, producing green house gases, all known to be damaging to the necessary conditions for life on this planet to thrive. Let’s not even mention war because its just a byproduct of the same thing. Watching scientists at the forefront of pollution is a disgrace to all the restless nights given by students trying to survive. Let us plant here, clean our water, soil, air and bring balance to Nature’s state in the place we have been born. Platics are of a time of ignorance let it be no more, the industry has creativity.
javier
September 8, 2022 at 4:06 am
stop giving hope to rich people!
ishare design
September 8, 2022 at 5:08 am
Thanks for sharing
Danimal209
September 8, 2022 at 5:18 am
“Space is limited in space” … mic drop
Fabio Rota
September 8, 2022 at 8:32 am
Regolith is actually a term which refers to the surface material of any planets, so soil is just a type of regolith
Adipose Rex
September 8, 2022 at 9:00 am
I hear they found garlic mustard and buckthorn on the moon. Did Europe arrive first?
SeedSt4r
September 8, 2022 at 11:34 am
all lies, they have no moon soil
Erica17
September 8, 2022 at 11:57 am
plants immigrants to every planet(๑＞ڡ＜)☆
Bata Alexander
September 8, 2022 at 12:46 pm
It’s a shame that there isn’t much more and more detailed discussion on this topic. For example, it is not clear whether there is a chemical, or some kind of mechanical toxicity, or some trace elements are missing.
Amy Deponio
September 8, 2022 at 1:04 pm
Nasa tell you they can’t get to the moon…they say radiation belt makes sure of this but truly they don’t know. Give up the lies.
Amy Deponio
September 8, 2022 at 1:07 pm
Check out channels Beyond the imaginary curved, divergent, feed your mind 2 or hibbler productions. This is nonsense and any of the above channels will show you just how much your being played
hypercept
September 8, 2022 at 2:08 pm
Helium-3 in regolith will be harvested for fuel on earth. The focus will become privatized profiteering, rather than this promise of utopia you keep falling for. Indentured servitude will be used to mine it. I’m sick of how predictably greedy our species is.
useazebra
September 8, 2022 at 2:23 pm
Soil is not necessary for growing plants. The much bigger problem is the lack of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Hydroponic greenhouses grow massive amounts of food with no soil, but they spend a lot of money just to blow fresh air over the plants to help them get more CO2 and grow faster.
Amuda Tosin
September 8, 2022 at 2:46 pm
Stop lying to us earth is flat, y’all should accept It.
mohan silaparasetti
September 8, 2022 at 3:28 pm
In the thumbnail it is funny he has a space suit but sowing plant in a zero environment
PEDIATRI
September 8, 2022 at 6:32 pm
Imagine if they could spend this money on earth to protect the planet we are living in ….
ChibiSteak
September 8, 2022 at 8:12 pm
6:48
kat russell
September 9, 2022 at 12:59 am
Stinging nettles would be good to grow. They are hardy and very nutritious.
Tim Parsons
September 9, 2022 at 12:32 pm
“You mean, he’s going to plough the moon’s surface? What ever will he plant?!”
— Mikey Blumberg, Recess: School’s Out (2001)
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evilzombie21
September 9, 2022 at 10:06 pm
One day look up moon green plants
Touch. Me. I Will Turn You ONN
September 9, 2022 at 10:28 pm
Just imagine one day looking at the moon, and seeing the color green.
Nena 🔥 F-'ck M'-e - Check my P'ro'fi-le🔥
September 10, 2022 at 1:08 am
Regolith is actually a term which refers to the surface material of any planets, so soil is just a type of regolith
Della 🍆 𝐆𝐨 𝐓𝐨 𝐌𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 [𝐋!𝐯𝐞]
September 10, 2022 at 3:48 am
They’ve also talked about utilizing raised beds on the moon. Using techniques that the Native Americans would use. What a cool idea.
Chief Executive Orbiter
September 10, 2022 at 4:42 am
There’s too much radiation duh
Forester Leaf
September 10, 2022 at 1:25 pm
#moonhaven 💚💚💚💚💚🌙🌘🌙🌘🌙
Roost3r OSRS
September 11, 2022 at 9:44 am
Very interesting
TheBlondeOne
September 11, 2022 at 11:12 pm
I hate when ppl like this speak like they know more than you…
Mitchell
September 12, 2022 at 12:41 am
smokin on that Lunar OG
Moe Horowitz World
September 12, 2022 at 2:22 pm
🌄👍🖖
Malcolm Mutambanengwe
September 12, 2022 at 3:59 pm
Having something positive and uniting like a lunar base would be great for humanity
Mr. Ganja 42O
September 13, 2022 at 3:49 am
Yo moon weed 🤣
limoncello
September 13, 2022 at 5:54 am
Interesting!
Jim Myers
September 16, 2022 at 2:25 pm
To become “soil” the regolith needs to have the same or similar fungal mitochondria and bacteria found in our Earth based soils. The material is dead until it is given these.
Andy D
September 17, 2022 at 1:39 pm
I’m already growing hair on my moon
Kyle League
September 17, 2022 at 2:07 pm
They mention how more “aged” regolith caused more stress. Would it help to just dig down to unweathered regolith? How far down would they have to go?
Rose Hartland
September 18, 2022 at 12:33 pm
instead of growing plants in the toxic medium, why not filter the medium, extract the metals and then grow in the remaining medium
John Robinson
September 19, 2022 at 12:57 pm
So, regolith taken for deeper layers should be better, perhaps? This seems like it would be easy to achieve given enough infrastructure: soil mining.
John Robinson
September 19, 2022 at 12:59 pm
Maybe some microbes could ‘sequester’ the problematic metals, etc.
Marky P
September 21, 2022 at 1:45 pm
So it’s possible they could grow certain plants…But clearly would need to be in bullet (mini meteor) proof greenhouses, with LEDs, to provide optimum light and an oxygenated atmosphere that keeps a tolerable temperature?