Chinese seed sprouts on Moon, becomes first botanical matter to grow there

In what should be considered as a huge leap towards long-term space exploration, the Moon mission of China has witnessed the first-ever vision of life. According to China National Space Administration, seeds taken up to the Moon by China's Chang'e-4 mission have sprouted. Researchers added that plants have been grown on the International Space Station before but never on the Moon. The small green shoot is the first after a cotton seed germinated on board a Chinese lunar lander, scientists said Tuesday.

Scientists from Chongqing University - who designed the "mini lunar biosphere" experiment - sent an 18cm bucket-like container holding air, water and soil witnessed the sprout emerged from a lattice-like structure inside a canister since the Chang'e-4 lander set down earlier this month.

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Inside are mini lunar biosphere" are cotton, potato, and arabidopsis seeds - a plant of the mustard family - as well as fruit fly eggs and yeast.

"This is the first-time humans have done biological growth experiments on the lunar surface," said Xie Gengxin, who led the design of the experiment.

The ability to grow plants on the Moon will be integral for long-term space missions, like a trip to Mars which would take about two-and-a-half years.

It would mean that astronauts could potentially harvest their own food in space, reducing the need to come back down to Earth to resupply. Chang'e-4 is also equipped with instruments developed by scientists from Sweden, Germany and China to study the lunar environment, cosmic radiation and the interaction between solar wind and the moon's surface.

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The agency also added that four more lunar missions are planned, confirming the launch of a probe by the end of the year to bring back samples from the moon.

(With inputs from agencies)