--- title: "China’s Lander Just Sprouted First-Ever Plants on the Moon" description: "China's lunar lander Chang'e-4 has officially sprouted cotton seeds on the surface of the Moon — a world's first." date: "2019-01-15" modified: "2019-01-15" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/chinas-lander-sprouted-tiny-cotton-plants-moon" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Space" tags: - "astrobiology" - "chang'e 4" - "china" - "moon" --- # China’s Lander Just Sprouted First-Ever Plants on the Moon ![]() *\Image: Chongqing University\* ## Moon Cotton For the first time in history, humans have grown something on the surface of the Moon. When China's Chang'e-4 lander left on its journey to the far side of the Moon — the less-studied, mountainous half that faces away from the Earth — it brought along seeds and other Earth-based species including fruit flies and yeast in a sealed growing container. Now its cotton seeds have officially sprouted, Chinese news site *Xinhua* [reports](). It's a historic moment: it's the first biological experiment of any kind on the surface of another world. https://twitter.com/PDChina/status/1084990837400887296 ## Groundbreaking Experiment Earthling scientists have grown plenty of things in outer space — experiments aboard the International Space Station, for instance, have managed to [root zucchini plants](). The experiment on the Moon is being carried out by researchers and students at Chongqing University in central China. An identical control experiment back on Earth has [seen a lot more growth]() so far, *GB Times* [reports](). ## Sealed Ecosystem The canister was fully sealed to protect the seeds from radiation and extreme temperatures, the *South China Morning Post* [reports](). But it did allow in light for photosynthesis — it even generated some oxygen for the fruit flies that were also placed inside the container. Chang’e-4 [launched]() on Dec. 7 to explore the differences between the far and near side of the Moon in terms of their mineral composition and structure. But its biological experiments could lay the groundwork for future missions to the Moon or even colonization — and redefine the way we look at our closest neighbor. **READ MORE:** [China’s lunar lander successfully sprouts cotton on the Moon]() \[*The Verge*\] ***More on China's Chang'e-4 lander: [See China’s Lunar Rover Set Off Across the Far Side of the Moon]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()