NASA plans to go to the moon with LED plant lighting technology

On April 4, foreign media reported that the United States Space Administration (NASA) will launch the second round of space planting projects. This plan will continue NASA’s years of experience in using LED lights to grow plants on the International Space Station and promote LED plant lighting planting technology to the moon.

To this end, NASA is working with Space Lab Technology Company in Boulder, Colorado, to jointly develop an indoor growth chamber, similar to a small vertical farm, using LED lights as a light source for astronauts to grow three crops on the moon. This will be an important part of the "Artemis III mission" of the U.S. lunar landing plan.

It is reported that the Artemis III mission will be an important step after humans land on the moon for the first time. The project is expected to be implemented as early as September 2026, when two astronauts will land on the lunar surface to carry out a series of tasks, including assembling a horticultural experimental device called "Lunar Effects on Agricultural Plants (LEAF)".

NASA officials stated that LEAF will study the impact of the lunar surface environment on space crops and is the first experiment to observe plant photosynthesis, growth and stress response. The experiment will be conducted under space radiation and partial gravity conditions, and the data collected will help scientists understand the potential of growing plants on the moon and other planets to support human nutrition and life support.

Space Lab further explained in a press release that the crops studied in this project are not only used as food, but can also be used to remove CO2, provide oxygen, and help purify water sources in the lunar environment.

Space Lab said the experiment includes a plant growth chamber that is insulated from outside air, in which red and green varieties of rutabaga, duckweed and Arabidopsis will be grown. Among them, rutabaga includes bok choy, cabbage, mizuna, turnips, mizuna and other edible plant species. NASA astronauts are already familiar with how to grow and eat this plant vegetable on the International Space Station.

To protect plants from the extreme environment of the moon, the growth chamber provides a closed environment, isolating the moon's radiation, extreme temperatures, sunlight and weak gravity. This experiment will allow crops to grow to the seedling stage, laying the foundation for future space cultivation.

In addition to the LEAF growth chamber project, NASA also plans to send another two sets of scientific equipment on the Artemis III mission to monitor seismic activity and electrical properties. The Artemis III mission is scheduled to land at the lunar south pole and will be preceded by the Artemis II mission, a manned mission around the moon expected to launch as early as September 2025, paving the way for the Artemis III mission.