The astronauts who return to the surface of the Moon, expectedly in 2026, as part of the North American Artemis mission, will take plants and an instrument that will study the effects of radiation and partial lunar gravity on their growth.
The instrument was one of three selected by the North American space agency (NASA) for the Artemis III mission, scheduled for September 2026 and with which the United States intends to return to the surface of the Moon, with the first woman and the first black man, after the last landing of astronauts, all men, in 1972.
The region chosen for Artemis III’s moon landing will be the south pole, where there will be freezing water.
Once installed in this region, the scientific instruments will collect data about the lunar environment and interior and how it will be possible to support a long-term human presence on the Moon, allowing NASA to prepare for sending astronauts to Mars.
One of the instruments, according to a NASA statement, will be the first of its kind to observe plant photosynthesis, growth and responses to stress caused by lunar radiation and gravity.
According to NASA, plant growth and development data, along with environmental parameters measured by the instrument, will help scientists understand the use of plants grown on the Moon for human nutrition and life support on its surface and in Mars.
A set of seismometers will also be on board Artemis III to monitor the seismic environment at the lunar south pole and characterize its geological structure, in particular the crust and mantle.
A third instrument will measure the ability of regoliths (rocky debris) to propagate an electric field, a key parameter in the search for lunar volatiles, especially ice.
Astronauts are scheduled to return to orbit around the Moon in September 2025, as part of the Artemis II mission.
