Will Plants Grow on the Moon?

NASA's Artemis III mission plans to send three plants to the moon as part of the LEAF project, possibly as early as 2026. The experiment will test how mustard cress, brassica, and duckweed grow under lunar gravity and radiation conditions. Scientists aim to study the effects of the lunar environment on plant growth to support future long-term space missions. The plants will be transported in a specialized growth chamber and monitored until they freeze during the lunar night. This research could help develop bioregenerative life support systems for extended space travel and lunar habitation.