Growing tea on the moon

Tea on the Moon

Warm-up Questions

1. Do you like drinking tea? Why or why not?

2. What types of tea are popular in your country?

3. When do people usually drink tea in your culture?

4. Do you prefer tea or coffee? Why?

5. Have your tea-drinking habits changed over time?

6. Is tea important in social gatherings in your country?

7. What are the health benefits of drinking tea?

8. Do you think young people drink less tea than older people?

9. How is tea usually prepared in your home?

10. Would you be interested in trying tea grown on the Moon? Why or why not?

ScientistsScholarshave said that it might be possible to growcultivatetea on the Moon. ResearchersAnalysists from the University of Kent in the UK believeare certain the lunar soil is goodfertileenough for tea plants to grow in. Lead researcher Professor Nigel Mason said: "We are at the very earliest stagesat the outset of research into space agriculture." He added: "It is reassuringencouragingthat we may be able to provide access topass along the great British tradition of a tea break." This is good news for astronauts who visit the Moon in the future. They will be able to have a cup of Moon-grown tea. It could also be good news for farmers who strugglestriveto grow crops in poor soil. Researchers hope farmers worldwideacross the board will be able to farm even in poor soil.

Professor Mason and his team investigatedlooked intowhether tea plants could growsproutin lunar and Martian soil. He said: "Our experiments revealexhibitsthat…plants such as tea may be cultivatednurturedin lunar soil within lunar greenhousesconservatories, allowing inhabitantsdwellersof such basesheadquarterssome degree of [independenceself-sufficiency] and access to fresh food." The researchers plantedsowedtea in a special soil they made that is close to the type of soil found on the Moon and on Mars. Fellow researcher Dr Sara Lopez-Gomollon was happy withtook pride in her findings. She said: "The results of this project are very encouraginginspiring, as they demonstrate that tea…can be grown in lunar soil." Unfortunatelyregrettably, the tea plants did not grow in the Martian soil.