The future of lunar exploration is being cooked in terrestrial laboratories, and a student who recently graduated in Physics from UNED, Josu Egea Carrois part of this innovative adventure. For months now, Josu has led a pioneering project by the European Space Agency (ESA) to grow plants in an environment that simulates the conditions of the Moon. Its objective is to demonstrate that mycorrhizal fungi, old acquaintances on our planet, can improve the growth of crops in lunar soil, offering a sustainable way to feed future space missions.
The project, named Selenar Fungihas been carried out at ESA facilities in the Netherlands, where researchers used advanced technologies such as the Random Positioning Machine (RPM) and the Large Diameter Centrifuge (LDC) to replicate the gravitational conditions of the Moon. In addition, a simulator of lunar regolith, the layer of dust and rock that covers the surface of the Moon, has been used. Egea explains that, “although it has been shown that plants can grow in the lunar regolith, this substrate poses many challenges, since it is very poor in nutrients and is composed of fine, sharp particles that make root formation difficult.”
The mission of Selenar Fungi is, in essence, discover how mycorrhizal fungi can help plants thrive in inhospitable lunar soil. These fungi, which form a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, improve the absorption of water and nutrients, which could be a key factor for agriculture on the Moon. Josu explains that “our hypothesis is that the symbiosis between fungi and plants could be the key to optimizing crops intended to produce food on the Moon, thus reducing dependence on terrestrial resources.” During the project, his team analyzed how plants respond to different levels of gravity, from the 0.16g characteristic of the Moon to hypergravity conditions.
Not everything has been simple. “One of the biggest challenges was designing a system that ensured that the seeds and substrate remained stable during the rapid rotations of the RPM,” details Josu. To overcome this challenge, the team, formed by Josu Egea and three students from the Polytechnic Institute of Advanced Sciences (IPSA, France), the University of Iceland and the University of Lancaster (United Kingdom), respectively, had to design a experimental box that protected the samples without compromising their growth.
The experience has been, without a doubt, satisfactory. “My first contact with the space sector has been very enriching,” confesses the student, who recently finished his studies in Physics at UNED while simultaneously studying Medicine. “I have had the opportunity to learn from experts and collaborate with students from all over the world. I am learning to organize an international project, as a team leader, meeting incredible people and also learning to report what an experiment needs before being carried out with ECSS (European Cooperation for Space Standardization) requirements”.
International collaboration has, therefore, been another of the project’s strong points. Josu Egea worked side by side with students and scientists from various countries, enriching his experience and expanding his network of contacts in the space field. “My experience in this ESA educational program is a before and after for my career. I have had my first contact with the space sector, in an international environment and also developing and participating in an innovative project for science, and I don’t see better place to start than in a place like this and accompanied in the way I have been, by my colleagues from Selenar Fungi and the mentors from the ESA Academy”.
With the experimental phase now concluded, the team is now in the middle of the data analysis process. Preliminary results are expected to be presented next year, which could open new doors for future research into growing food in extraterrestrial environments. “My long-term goal is to combine my knowledge in physics and medicine to provide solutions to the medical and scientific challenges posed by space exploration,” concludes Josu.
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