Turnips, watercress and basil will be tested on the moon by NASA - The Associated Press

The U.S. space agency NASA intends to send to the moon, in 2015, a small greenhouse to try growing turnips, watercress and basil.

“Our concept is to develop a simple cultivation chamber, sealed, which can sustain germination over a period of five to ten days, on the moon,” said the U.S. space agency, quoted by the Spanish news agency Efe. “A filter paper and dissolved nutrients in the chamber, you can feed a hundred seeds of cress, ten seeds of basil and ten other turnip,” said NASA.

Ames Research Center NASA explained that once they land on the moon the private nature posted to the effect (Award winning Google Lunar X), a mechanism will release a small water tank that humedecerá paper and start germination sementes.Os

The aim of the experiment is to see if humans could live and work on the Moon and the first step is to send such plants. The experience does not include evidence of plant cultivation in the lunar soil, covered with a powder that lacks many of the nutrients that support plant life and in which there is not decomposed organic material that enriches the earth’s soil.

Moreover, the levels of radiation in the moon are more intense than those found in the earth once the satellite has no natural atmosphere which protects the sun’s rays most dangerous.

In addition, temperatures on the moon vary on the same day, between positive 100 degrees Celsius and 173 degrees Celsius and the sky of light and shadow that regulates photosynthesis is subject to the fact that the “day” last lunar 28 Earth days.

“We will use the natural light of the sun on the moon as a light source for the germination of plants, a first demonstration of the use of resources in situ ,” said NASA, adding that the offspring will be photographed at regular intervals, with enough to compare with models of growth in control plants on Earth resolution.