china is actively working on making its lunar mission a reality. In addition to colonizing the moon, Chinese scientists also plan to grow Potatoes on the moon. They will attempt to plant crops on the lunar surface as part of a forthcoming lunar mission.
The local news organization Chongqing Morning Post reported that potato specimen will be sealed inside a confined canister with silkworm larvae in order to produce a "mini ecosystem." The potato growing system will be part of Chang'e 4's mission slated to launch next year.
Inside the cylindrical canister, the silkworm larvae will help simulate the conditions of the Earth's surface where crops can easily grow, according to Chongqing University professor Xie Gengxin.
"The container will send potatoes, Arabidopsis seeds and silkworm eggs to the surface of the moon," said Zhang Yuanxun, chief designer of the container, in an interview with South China Morning Post.
The eggs are considered essential for the independent ecosystem since they will hatch into silkworms that will then produce carbon dioxide, while the potatoes will emit oxygen through photosynthesis.
Farming is essential to colonizing the moon
Although the idea is promising, there is no technology yet to ensure that potatoes can actually grow on the moon. However, this experiment is China's maiden step to colonizing the moon and providing a source of food. It aims to see if the larvae of the insects and the potato spuds will survive the conditions on the lunar surface.
If this works, this will be vital to the future human colony on the moon.
Growing potatoes in space was included in the plot of Matt Damon's "The Martian." Although there's no information regarding whether or not Chinese scientists got the idea from the movie, it is safe to assume that potatoes could be one of the easiest crops to grow in outer space.
China: the next space giant?
China is actually competing with SpaceX and NASA in terms of their lunar mission. Private and government-owned organizations are developing technology that will take humans beyond the confines of Earth -- including the moon. The moon, being the nearest celestial body to the planet, is considered a "space gateway" for interplanetary exploration.
Currently, China is building its own space station. Its module Tiangong-2 is already operational, orbiting outside the Earth. Reports say that the module will be part of China's space station that will slowly be built using modular parts that will be sent to space piece by piece in the coming years.
