Scientists have grown plants in asteroid soil for the first time

Scientists from the University of North Dakota were able to grow lettuce, radishes and chili peppers in a mixture of peat moss and artificial asteroid soil.

Science News writes about it.

This experiment showed that one day astronauts will be able to dine on lettuce grown in the soil of an asteroid.

The asteroid soil simulator consists of carbonaceous chondrites that contain nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

Scientists tried to grow plants only in artificial asteroid soil, only in peat moss and their mixtures. It turned out that peat moss effectively retains water. Plants germinated in all mixtures with moss. However, the artificial asteroid soil itself could not hold enough water, so plants could not grow.

Now scientists plan to grow hairy peas in asteroid soil. Animal feed is made on the basis of this plant.