Unique plants that can “come back from the dead” and survive extreme weather conditions could be the key to growing in space.
Known as resurrection plants, these rare organisms can survive without water for months or even years, depending on the species, and could prove to be ideal candidates for space travel.
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Plants growing on the moon
(Photo: TheMediaLine)
This is precisely what a team of researchers led by Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev sets out to find out.
The team, which includes scientists from Israel, Australia and South Africa, is currently testing to find out exactly which plant species can not only survive but also thrive on the moon as part of SpaceIL’s Beresheet2 mission. , slated for launch in mid-2025. The experiment, known as Aleph, was proposed by Lunaria One, an international consortium of scientists.
Professor Simon Barak, of the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, is coordinating a team of plant biologists and imaging specialists ahead of launch.
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Professor Simon Barak of Ben Gurion University working in the lab
(Photo: courtesy)
“These [resurrection plants] are plants that you can dry until almost crisp and have them survive like that for years,” Barak said. “When you water them again, they come back to life; they grow and look like the original adult plant they were.
The plants that scientists are currently examining as potential candidates for going to the moon must meet specific criteria due to the unique challenges posed by space travel. First, they must survive the months-long journey to the moon and also be able to withstand extreme temperature changes, low gravity, and cosmic radiation.
The Aleph experiment will include seeds as well as plants that will be kept inside a chamber sealed with the Earth’s atmosphere in the landers of a Beresheet2. When the lander turns on, there will be lights and a heater.
The plants and seeds will then be monitored using infrared cameras, photographs sent back to Earth and possibly 3D imagery.
“Once we land we power up and irrigate, we only have a 72-hour window for the experiment,” Barak explained. “So we need plants that will sprout very quickly from seed and grow big enough that we can then monitor them. The resurrection factories will expand and be large enough for us to photograph within those 72 hours.
If successful, Aleph will be the first such experiment to test growing conditions on the moon, as far as Barak knows. Years ago, China attempted to grow cottonseed in a controlled environment on the moon, but all died due to the harsh conditions.
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Illustration of a lunar location for a data center
(Photo: Screenshot from Lonestar website )
The upcoming mission aims to both prepare for possible human settlements on the Moon, as well as help farmers back on Earth cope with climate change.
“Human communities on the Moon or Mars are going to need plants, not just for food but to provide oxygen, to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, perhaps for medicinal purposes and for general well-being,” he said.
Jill Farrant, Professor and Research Chair in Plant Molecular Physiology at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, is one of the scientists involved in Project Aleph. Farrant holds a research chair granted by the South African Department of Science and Innovation through the National Research Foundation and is a leading expert on resurrection plants.
According to Farrant, although loosely defined, resurrection plants are an incredibly rare phenomenon.
The specific type of plant she plans to send on the Beresheet2 mission is Myrothamnus flabellifolius (common name: resurrection bush), which only grows in southern Africa.
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Myrothamnus flabellifolius foliage during the rainy season, Hamerkop Kloof, Magaliesberg, South Africa
(Photo: Androstachys/Creative Commons)
“It’s the only woody resurrection plant on this planet and it’s ancient,” Farrant explained. “The reality is that they can lose 95% of their water and stay dry for years. After a rain, 12 hours later, they are green and grow back.
There are many theories about how these plants can stay alive despite being almost completely desiccated.
“When they reduce their speed, they stop taking carbon and making food because it’s a very dangerous process,” Farrant noted. “They have ways of stopping photosynthesis and they redistribute their energy.
“My theory is a proof of concept: if we can get something that can grow sporadically when there is enough water, it will survive until we figure out how to produce enough water on this planet,” said she added.
A final selection of plants and seeds for Beresheet2 will take place once all testing and research has been completed.
Another objective of the project is to encourage the general public to participate. To this end, parallel scientific experiments will be conducted by amateurs (e.g. high school students) and professionals to compare the growth with that under lunar conditions.
“Earth is finite, our resources on Earth are finite and therefore humanity’s future will depend on its ability to reach for the stars,” Barak said.
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