Can we grow plants on the Moon?

A hands on lunar regolith plant growth experiment for up to 30 students

Lunar Simulant + Earth Control | Seeds + Growing Supplies | Teacher Workbook | Several Weeks of Hands On Science

Turn your classroom into a lunar plant research lab.

The Grow Plants on the Moon and Mars Classroom Science Kits gives up to 30 students the materials they need to conduct a multi week plant growth experiment using lunar or Martian regolith simulant and Earth soil as a control.

Experiment:

Students plant identical seeds in both materials, keep environmental conditions consistent, observe germination and plant health, measure growth, collect data, and compare their results.

It is a complete hands on science investigation built around a real challenge humans will need to solve to live and work beyond Earth.

Supports: 30 students
Experiment: Lunar regolith simulant vs. Earth soil 
Duration: Several weeks
Recommended for: Middle school, high school, and introductory undergraduate classrooms
Subjects: Biology, plant science, Earth and space science, agriculture, STEM, and human space exploration
Format: Small group scientific investigation
Teacher resources: Digital workbook with lesson plans, background reading, data tables, and scientific context

One Kit. Weeks of Science.

This is more than a one day science demonstration.

Students return to their plants over several weeks to observe changes, take measurements, build a dataset, and determine how plants respond to dramatically different growing materials.

Each team conducts a paired experiment using:

Lunar condition: LHS 1E Lunar Highlands Regolith Simulant

Martian condition: MGS-1 Mars Global Regolith Simulant

Control condition: Earth soil

Students keep light, water, temperature, and seed type consistent so they can investigate how the growing material affects plant development.

Students Become the Scientists

Students don't just learn about growing food on the Moon.

They investigate it.

Throughout the experiment, students:

• Form a hypothesis
• Set up lunar simulant and Earth soil trials
• Plant identical seeds
• Observe germination
• Measure plant height
• Monitor plant health
• Record observations and quantitative data
• Compare experimental results
• Identify patterns in their data
• Draw evidence based conclusions

By the end of the project, students have created a real dataset they can use to answer a much larger question:

What would humans need to successfully grow plants beyond Earth?

Everything Your Classroom Needs to Run the Experiment

Each classroom kit includes:

1 bucket of lunar regolith simulant, 1 bucket of Martian regolith simulant, or Both!
A lunar highlands regolith simulant formulated to reproduce important mineral and grain characteristics of lunar highlands material.

1 bucket of Earth soil
Used as the experimental control so students can compare plant performance between growing conditions.

Growing pots
Enough for up to 30 student teams to conduct paired lunar simulant and Earth soil trials.

Seeds
Ready for students to plant.

Scoopers and stirrers
For measuring, transferring, and mixing consistent sample quantities.

Protective face masks
Included for handling the fine mineral simulant.

Astrofarmer stickers
A take home piece of the mission for students.

Digital Astrofarmer workbook
Includes lesson plans, background reading, experiment guidance, data tables, and scientific context for lunar agriculture research.

How the Experiment Works

1. Set Up the Experiment

Student teams prepare one growing condition using lunar regolith simulant and another using Earth soil.

2. Plant

Students plant identical seeds in both conditions.

3. Control the Variables

Teams keep light, water, temperature, and other growing conditions consistent.

4. Observe

Students monitor germination, plant height, appearance, and overall plant health over several weeks.

5. Collect Data

Teams record observations and measurements throughout the experiment.

6. Compare

Students compare plant performance between Earth soil and lunar regolith simulant.

7. Analyze

Students use their results to determine how the growing material affected plant development and what challenges future lunar agriculture might face.

Real Space Science Students Can Touch

Lunar regolith is the loose mineral material covering the surface of the Moon.

Because returned lunar samples are extremely limited, scientists and engineers use lunar regolith simulants on Earth to study how equipment, materials, and biological systems may interact with lunar surface material.

This classroom kit uses LHS 1E Lunar Highlands Regolith Simulant, a simulant used by NASA and other space organizations to conduct real space science experiments. 

Students are conducting an experiment with a material developed for planetary surface simulation.

Why Doesn't Lunar Regolith Behave Like Earth Soil?

Students discover that lunar regolith presents some major challenges for plant growth.

Unlike healthy terrestrial soil, lunar regolith contains no organic matter, retains water differently, consists of angular mineral particles, and has a very different mineral environment from normal agricultural soil.

Those differences give students something meaningful to measure.

The goal isn't simply to make a plant grow.

The goal is to understand why the results are different.

Designed for Teachers

A strong classroom experiment should create work for students, not unnecessary work for teachers.

The Grow on the Moon Classroom Science Kit gives educators a ready to run investigation with materials for up to 30 teams plus a digital workbook that supports the experiment from introduction through final analysis.

The activity can be integrated into curriculum covering:

• Plant biology
• Germination and plant development
• Environmental conditions
• Experimental controls
• Variables
• Measurement
• Data collection
• Data analysis
• Earth and space science
• Lunar geology
• Agriculture
• Sustainability
• Human space exploration
• In situ resource utilization
• Scientific reasoning

No prior expertise in lunar science is required.

One Experiment. Multiple Levels of Learning.

The core plant comparison can be run as a guided classroom activity, while older or more advanced students can expand the investigation through deeper analysis.

Students can investigate:

• Germination rate
• Plant height
• Plant health
• Growth rate
• Differences between teams
• Water behavior
• Experimental error
• Statistical differences between conditions
• Additional treatments or amendments

Middle school students can focus on observation, measurements, variables, and basic data analysis.

High school and introductory college students can extend the experiment into experimental design, statistics, research reports, and independent investigations.

Perfect for

• Middle school science classrooms
• High school biology and Earth science classes
• Introductory undergraduate courses
• STEM programs
• Agriculture programs
• Space science programs
• Science clubs
• Museum education programs
• Summer camps
• Homeschool co ops
• Science fair projects

From Classroom Experiment to Moon Base

Any future crew living on the Moon will need reliable systems for food, water, oxygen, and other basic resources.

Plants may eventually become part of those systems.

But lunar regolith is not ordinary soil.

Understanding how plants interact with planetary materials is one piece of the much larger challenge of learning how humans can live beyond Earth.

With this experiment, students begin investigating that challenge themselves.

We build other worlds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Grow Plants on the Moon and Mars Classroom Science Kit?

It is a hands on classroom plant growth experiment in which students compare plants grown using lunar regolith simulant with plants grown using Earth soil. The kit supports up to 30 student teams and includes the growing materials, experiment hardware, safety equipment, and digital instructional resources needed to conduct the investigation.

How many students can use one classroom kit?

One kit supports up to 25 student teams. The growing pots are supplied so teams can conduct paired trials using lunar regolith simulant and Earth soil.

What is included in the classroom kit?

The kit includes one bucket of LHS 1E lunar regolith simulant, one bucket of Earth soil, growing pots for up to 25 teams, seeds, scoopers, stirrers, protective face masks, Astrofarmer stickers, and a digital workbook containing lesson plans, background reading, data tables, and scientific context.

What grade levels is the kit designed for?

The curriculum is designed primarily for middle school, high school, and introductory undergraduate students. Younger students can perform the plant growth comparison as a guided activity, while older students can conduct more advanced experimental design, statistics, and scientific writing.

How long does the experiment take?

Teachers should plan for several weeks of observation following planting. The exact timeline depends on seed type and classroom growing conditions.

Is this real material from the Moon?

No. Actual returned lunar samples are extremely limited and are not commercially available for classroom use. The kit contains LHS 1E lunar regolith simulant, an Earth based mineral material designed to reproduce relevant characteristics of lunar highlands regolith.

Will plants grow in lunar regolith simulant?

Germination and early growth can occur, but plants grown in simulant may perform differently from plants grown in Earth soil. Measuring and explaining those differences is one of the central goals of the experiment.

Is the lunar regolith simulant safe for students?

The simulant is a fine mineral material and should not be inhaled. Protective face masks are included with the kit. Educators should use the material in a ventilated space, keep it away from students' eyes, and have students wash their hands after handling it.

Can the lunar regolith simulant be reused?

The mineral simulant itself does not degrade and can be dried and stored for future demonstrations. Plant growth results may differ after a growing cycle because biological material can remain in the simulant.

Can students use this for science fair projects?

Yes. Students can extend the base experiment by investigating different plant species, treatments, amendments, watering conditions, or other variables.

What subjects does the kit support?

The activity can support biology, plant science, Earth and space science, agriculture, STEM, experimental design, scientific measurement, data analysis, lunar exploration, human spaceflight, and in situ resource utilization.