The first plants on the moon, China says it did the job

Chinese scientists say they have grown the first plants on the moon as part of the country’s lunar mission.

Pictures posted Jan. 12 showed plant buds growing well nine days after the start of the experiment, Chongqing University, which led the biological project, said in a briefing Tuesday.

Cotton, canola, potatoes, Arabidopsis, yeast and fruit fly were in the testers. Crops were exposed to high desertification, temperature differences, and strong radiation.

After becoming the first country in the world to land a spacecraft on the other side of the moon, China plans to have four more missions to retrieve samples before exploring the feasibility of a lunar research base.

Guards: China claims to have grown its first plants on the moon as part of a lunar mission

China plans to launch the Chang’e-5 probe to the moon later this year, with three more in the campaign, Wu Yanhua, deputy administrator of China’s National Space Administration, said at a preparatory meeting in Beijing on Monday . At least two of them will land on the moon’s south pole and conduct research, he said.

“We will use the Chang’e-8 to test specific technologies and do some research to build a research base on the moon,” Wu said.

The world’s second-largest economy is doubling down on its space program as the race with the U.S. exploring Mars and beyond heats up at a time when both powers waiting for economic, technological and military leadership. With an annual space budget of $ 8 billion, second only to the US, China is also looking to deploy a probe to the red planet by the end of this decade and build its own space station by 2022.