CHINA TO SEND SILK WORMS TO MOON IN 2018

Beijing: In a first, China is planning to send miniecosystems — containing potato seeds and silkworm eggs — to the Moon next year, in an attempt to study how the organisms develop on the lunar surface. The 3kilogramme mini-ecosystem, developed by research teams led by Chongqing University in China, will be sent to the Moon by the Chang’e 4 scheduled to launch in 2018, authorities announced at the Global Space Exploration Conference. An 18cm tall cylinder will carry potato seeds and silkworm eggs to be incubated. The silkworms will hatch and create carbon dioxide, while the potato plants will generate oxygen, Zhang Yuanxun, who designed the ecosystem, was quoted as saying by ‘Global Times’. Xie Gengxin, chief designer on the project, said their mission is to prepare for future moon landings and possible human inhabitants. “We will livestream the development of plants and insects on lunar surface to the whole world,” Mr Gengxin added. China is planning a manned mission to the Moon, and officials announced the initial preparations for the lunar landing have begun.