Space Botanist Wins NASA Grant to Grow Chickpeas in Lunar Regolith

Jessica Atkin, a space botanist at Texas A&M University, received a large NASA grant to advance research on growing chickpeas in lunar regolith after her experiments demonstrated successful sprouting when the material was mixed with organic matter and fungi.

Atkin began the project in 2020-2021 by setting up a plant laboratory in her living room to generate preliminary data after an initial NASA proposal was rejected for lacking sufficient evidence. She used simulated regolith made from Earth volcanic rocks that replicate Artemis landing sites in the lunar highlands.

The experiments tested different amounts of compost and fungi with the simulated regolith. Chickpeas in the successful mixtures germinated quicker than those in terrestrial soil, though plants grown in regolith produced fewer seeds overall. Atkin is now sending seeds from the regolith-grown chickpeas to Pennsylvania State University for toxicity testing.

Lunar regolith presents multiple challenges for plant growth. Its grains are small, sharp and positively charged, which can cut micro-tears in plants and form cement-like barriers when watered. The material contains phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and trace micronutrients but also high levels of iron and aluminum that can harm plants.

Atkin previously served in the U.S. armed forces as a police officer sent to Iraq to train local police and later worked as a firearms instructor. She has cited her childhood on a ranch and early memories in a strawberry patch with her grandmother as the origins of her interest in plants and space.

It can cost up to $100,000 to send one pound of material to the Moon, making transport of Earth soil impractical. Atkin noted that future lunar bases will likely rely on a combination of prepackaged meals, hydroponics and in-situ crop production. The Artemis II mission circled the Moon and forms part of NASA efforts toward a permanent lunar surface base.