There’s been a lot of talk about creating moon colonies as of late, particularly by Elon Musk, who aims to colonize the moon by 2030. But the idea of living on the space rock begs an important question: Where will settlers get their food? With the goal of establishing a long-term presence on the moon, the ESA is working with space resource processing company Solsys Mining and two European research institutes to devise sustainable hydroponic farming practices up in space.
Lunar topsoil, otherwise known as regolith, is nutrient-dense—but that doesn’t make it a suitable substrate for produce. Regolith lacks the nitrogen compounds necessary for steady plant growth; it’s also hydrophobic and compacts in the presence of water, making it difficult for seedlings to establish healthy root systems. (This is likely why the University of Florida’s regolith growth experiments were underwhelming last year.)
The moon’s topsoil retained the shape of Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin’s bootprint, leading to this iconic photo. (Image: NASA/Buzz Aldrin)
Hydroponics bypass the need for soil. Rather than hoping plants will establish roots in regolith or other substrates, hydroponics allows those roots to grow directly into nutrient-rich water. In order to ensure the water used for lunar hydroponics is nutritious, however, Solsys and the ESA will have to create a system that extracts nutrients from regolith.
As of now, Solsys is toying with various mechanical, chemical, and biological processes through which to farm these nutrients. Once an effective method is finalized, the duo will work with Norway’s Geotechnical Institute and Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Space to create a system that concentrates useful nutrients while disposing of undesirable materials.
“This work is essential for future long-term lunar exploration,” said ESA materials and processes engineer Malgorzata Holynska. “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 ESA’s project kicked off in December 2022 and will wrap up at the end of this year. The agency hasn’t said which specific types of produce it would like to grow on the moon. It’s possible certain species will reveal themselves to be well-suited for lunar farming over the course of the study; until then, Solsys has reportedly found success growing tomatoes, beans, and peppers hydroponically here on Earth.
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