China wants to launch a space experiment, which seeks to grow potatoes, flowers and silkworms on the Moon thanks to the space probe Chang'e-4, which plans to send our satellite later this year, reported the Xinhua agency.
With this project, Beijing plans to create a small 'lunar biosphere'. To achieve its objective, it will deposit on the hidden side of the Moon an aluminum cylinder with seeds of these tubers, 'Arabidopsis' plants and eggs of these insects.
The three-kilogram container will contain water, air, a small camera and a transmission system so that researchers can observe the evolution of the process from Earth, to around 384,400 kilometers.
Chinese researchers have chosen to test with these crops "because the period of growth of the 'Arabidopsis' is short" and "the potatoes could become an important source of food for future space travelers", explained the director of the experiment, Liu Hanlong, who is confident that "will help gain knowledge to build a lunar base and a long-term residence on the Moon."
This initiative is led by the University of Chongqing, in which 28 educational centers from China have been selected from among more than 200 proposals.
It will also allow specialists to know better the other side of the Moon to launch new projects.