China’s Chang’e moon probe will carry out biosphere experiments

Professor XIE Gengxin of Chongqing University said a canister installed on the probe contained the seeds of cotton, rapeseed, potato, and arabidopsis, as well as eggs of fruit fly and some yeast, to form a simple mini biosphere. After Chang’e-4 landed on Jan. 3, ground control initiated to water the plants, and a tube directs natural light on the surface of the moon into the canister to allow the plants to grow. Images sent by the probe so far showed that a cotton sprout had started to grow, though no other plants were found growing. According to XIE, potatoes could be a major source of food for future space travelers. The growth period of Arabidopsi, is short and easy to observe. Yeast could play a role in regulating carbon dioxide and oxygen in the mini biosphere, and the fruit fly would be the consumer of the photosynthesis process.

CAS news release, January 16, 2019

China’s Chang’e moon probe will carry out biosphere experiments
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