Farming on the Moon: New ESA project focuses on creating fertiliser for growing plants in future

In order to establish a long-term human presence on the lunar surface, it may be necessary for settlers to cultivate plants on the Moon in the future. However, traditional farming methods may not be feasible on the Moon, given that it has a harsh environment, with extreme temperatures, high levels of radiation and limited resources.

According to the European Space Agency, lunar soil or regolith compacts in the presence of water, creating problems for plant germination and root growth. Therefore, farming on the Moon requires other alternatives like hydroponic farming - a method of agriculture that involves feeding plant roots directly with a nutrient-rich water solution, without the need for soil, in a controlled environment.

A new ESA Discovery project led by Norway's Solsys Mining is looking into the treatment of lunar soil to create fertiliser for growing plants on the lunar surface.

The project "Enabling Lunar In-Situ Agriculture by Producing Fertilizer from Beneficiated Regolith" involves studying a combination of mechanical, chemical and biological processes to extract mineral nutrients from the lunar regolith. Valuable elements might need concentrating before use, while undesirable ones would be removed.

The Solsys Mining team has already successfully grown beans and is now optimistic about their progress.

"This work is essential for future long-term lunar exploration. Achieving a sustainable presence on the Moon will involve using local resources and gaining access to nutrients present in lunar regolith with the potential to help cultivate plants. The current study represents a proof of principle using available lunar regolith simulants, opening the way to more detailed research in future," ESA materials and processes engineer Malgorzata Holynska, said in a statement.

Sooner or later, human settlers on the #Moon will have to become farmers. Lunar soil compacts in water, but #ESADiscovery & Solsys Mining in 🇳🇴 are investigating how to retrieve nutrients from regolith to enable hydroponic plant growth https://t.co/RXDQqrn2EL pic.twitter.com/CBrmbZ2lWM

— ESA Technology (@ESA_Tech) February 22, 2023