Category Archives: Moon Farming

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 29 Mar – 1 Apr 2024

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First Instruments Slated for Deployment on Lunar Surface by Artemis 3 Crew Announced

3 science payloads are approved to continue development targeting NET 2026 Artemis 3 human landing (final manifest will be fixed later): Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS), Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora (LEAF), Lunar Dielectric Analyzer (LDA); Trio of instruments are intended to contribute to 3 of 7 objectives articulated in Artemis III Science Definition Team Report; LEMS (University of Maryland) seismometer to record MSP quakes; LEAF (Space Lab Technologies) will study germination and growth of Brassica rapa, Wolffia, Arabidopsis thaliana varieties; LDA (University of Tokyo) to measure regolith electrical fields / variance with temperature

Credits: NASA / JPL, UMBC, Quest Thermal, Space Lab Technologies

Friday / 3 June 2022

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Businesses Develop Moon Infrastructure Technology with Canadian Space Agency Support

CSA-ASC funding 5 companies to advance Lunar Surface Exploration Initiative with 7 studies (~US$200K/ea, $1.4M total) on agricultural science, avionics/comms, mining/ISRU, power; Canadensys (Bolton ON) to study lunar greenhouse, modular rover concepts; MDA (Brampton ON) to study nuclear power generation, autonomous robots / rovers; MPB Communications (Pointe-Claire QC) to study Earth-Moon optical comms, Canadian Space Mining Corporation (Toronto ON) to study lunar prospecting; Honeywell Ltd. of Canada (Ottawa ON) to study Moon surface / orbit communication network

Credits: CSA-ASC, Canadensys, MDA, MPB Communications, Honeywell, Canadian Space Mining Corporation

Tuesday / 21 September 2021

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NASA ‘Plant the Moon Challenge’ Engages Students in Lunar Agriculture Experimentation

Conducted by Institute Of Competition Sciences, NASA SSERVI and UCF Exolith Laboratory with support from SC, FL, MN, ID, VA, NM Space Grant Consortiums, Plant the Moon and Plant Mars Challenges looking forward to the technologies and practices needed to sustain human life off Earth; Lunar regolith simulant being shipped to students nationwide, mentored by Science Advisory Board including (L-R) Nanoracks Chief Innovation Officer Michael Lewis, Scientist Chris McKay, Exolith Lab Chief Scientist Zoe Landsman; Opening Symposium 22 Sep

 

Credits: NASA, ICS, Exolith Lab, Nanoracks

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 13-16 Aug 2021

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Long Term Lunar Food Security is Focus of New Public-Private Japan Consortium

Sustainable Moon settlement study centered around in-situ food production, also conducting research on long duration physiological and psychological human effects, to be launched by JAXA in partnership with Space Foodsphere, a Tokyo-based study group with wide industry membership including Euglena Co. (algae-based biofuels), NTT Data (information technology) and Ajinomoto Co. (food science); Facilities within Japan may begin construction March 2022, with Antarctic locations to follow and vision of transferring technology to terraformation of exoplanets circa 2100

Pictured: Space Foodsphere Board Members (Clockwise) Y. Kikuchi, N. Tsuboyama-Kasaoka, H. Tanaka, M. Komasa, Y. Murakami, M. Shintani Credits: Space Foodsphere

Friday / 14 May 2021

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Permanent Moon Settlement Advanced By International Research Stations In Antarctica

Neumayer III Station, Located On Ekström Ice Shelf In Antarctica (70°38′S 8°15′W) Is Site Of EDEN ISS (UL) Greenhouse, A Prototype Closed-Loop Sustenance System Helping To Feed Onsite Researchers And Develop Technology / Agronomic Knowledge Base Necessary To Sustain Human Life Outside Earth Ecosystem With Collaboration, From Germany Primarily And Austria, Italy, Canada, The Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, USA; China Is Pursuing Similar Goals At China Great Wall Research Station (BR) On King George Island Of Antarctica (62°13′S 58°57′W) With Plexiglass Greenhouse Covering 602m2; Efforts Have Focused On Brassica Cultivation

Credits: ESA, ACRYLITE, DLR, Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Oct 2018

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International Efforts Aiming For Village On Moon

European Space Agency, Major Advocate Of International Moon Village, Planning 1000 Square-Meter Luna Facility At ESA Astronaut Centre In Cologne, Germany; Regolith Simulant EAC-1 Will Be Used For Experiments To Construct Habitats;  China “Lunar Palace” Yuegong-1 Simulates Moonbase On 370-Day Mission; 500 Cubic-Meter Habitat Contains Integrated Living / Work Module And Two Plant Cultivation Modules; Experimental Crops Including Corn And Peanuts Grown In Closed Environment; International MoonBase Alliance Aims To Build Lunar Analog On Island Of Hawai’i

Credits: Beihang University, ESA

 

Friday / 30 Mar 2018

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Updates To Outer Space Treaty Could Define Space Regulations

During COPUOS 57th Legal Subcommittee Session 9-20 April At Vienna International Center, Countries To Discuss General Principle Consensus On Space Resource Policy Which May Be Necessary To Enable Moon And Mars Settlements, Potentially Prevent Conflict Of Interest In Space; Vidvuds Beldavs Proposes International Regime Could Govern Moon Resource Extraction Focused On Safety, Sustainability, Equitable Sharing By All Countries; Common Heritage Of Mankind Concept Inclusion To Prevent Exploitation, Encourage Preservation For Future Generations 

Credits: NASA, Space, UN, Vidvuds Beldavs

Wednesday / 18 May 2016

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Dutch Study Tests Vegetable Growth With Moon, Mars Soil Simulants

LED-5-17-16

Lunar Soil Simulant Being Tested As Grow Medium For Tomatoes, Peas, Rye, Radishes, Cress, Arugula By Agricultural Researchers At Wageningen University, Netherlands; Ecologist Dr. Wieger Wamelink Notes 1st Attempt Most Plants Died In Moon Dirt Due To Low Water Absorption, Adding Fresh Cut Grass Allowed Plants To Thrive; Risk Of Heavy Metal Contamination Could Be Mitigated By Growing Violets, Other Species That Take In Toxins; Soil Analogs Sourced From Arizona Desert (Moon) And Hawaii Volcano (Mars) Via NASA At Cost Of US$3,080 Per 100kg

Credit: Wageningen UR, NASA