Space agriculture soon could become a significant gift of modern science.

Just like Neil Armstrong's famous quote, 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,' which he spoke after landing on the lunar surface on July 21, 1969, scientists believe that space agriculture could soon become possible- a giant leap in the history of human civilisation.

According to a report published in the journal Communications Biology on May 12, 2022, scientists have for the first time grown plants in lunar soil brought back by astronauts in the Apollo programme.

The research, thus, has given researchers and scientists the hope that agriculture and growing plants on the lunar surface could become possible in future.

Growing plants on the lunar surface would save future space missions much hassle and expense, facilitating longer and farther trips.

However, according to the study's University of Florida authors, much remains to be studied on the topic, and they intend to leave no stone unturned.

Bill Nelson, the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), said "this research is critical to NASA's long-term human exploration goals" and added that the space agency will need to use the resources found on the Moon and Mars to develop food sources for future astronauts living and operating in deep space.

Just 12 grams (a few teaspoons) of lunar soil collected from various spots on the Moon during the Apollo 11, 12, and 17 missions were used to carry out the experiment.

The researchers placed a gram of soil (called regolith) in tiny thimble-sized pots and water, and seeds, and fed the plants a nutrient solution every day.

For the experiment, the scientists planted Arabidopsis thaliana, a relative of mustard greens.

This was done because the plant grows easily and it has been studied extensively.

Moreover, the plant's genetic code and responses to hostile environments, including space, are well known.

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