Plants to be grown on the Moon base revealed

Future space facilities, including the Moon base, are planning to cultivate four types of agricultural crops essential for humans. This project is crucial for ensuring food supplies for long-term space expeditions. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .

According to the publication ixbt.com, this was announced by Margarita Levinskikh, Scientific Secretary of the Institute of Biomedical Problems at the Russian Academy of Sciences and Doctor of Biological Sciences. According to the expert, future lunar bases are expected to grow wheat, bell peppers, tomatoes, and various greens.

However, caring for plants in space conditions has its own complexities. Crops adapted to the space environment must not only withstand harsh conditions but also meet strict physical parameters, such as specific dimensions.

Experiments and results obtained

As part of the "V kosmos so svoim pomidorom" project, Russian and Belarusian schoolchildren conducted research in collaboration with scientists from the Institute of Biomedical Problems. Within the project, seeds of the "Pinnokio", "Groshik", "Donetskiy", and "Bichye serdse" varieties were tested.

These seeds were placed on board the "Bion-M" No. 2 biosatellite and sent to space in August-September 2025. After returning to Earth, the seeds that had been in space were germinated alongside control Earth samples.

Scientists carefully studied the effects of weightlessness, extreme temperatures, and cosmic radiation on the plants. The studies showed that the tomato seeds that returned from space fully retained their primary biochemical characteristics.

Future scientific plans

Nevertheless, during the research, scientists discovered that some changes occurred at the molecular level. It became clear that the impact of cosmic radiation and the harsh environment did not go unnoticed.

Margarita Levinskikh noted that in the future, changes at the level of the genetic apparatus in some of these seeds cannot be ruled out. Experts emphasize that studying such factors will serve as a fundamental foundation for future space flights.