Chinese lunar mission bears fruit, grows cotton seed

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - In a first ever experiment, a cotton seed has grown on the moon, Chinese media reported on Tuesday.

A team led by Chinese scientists from Chongqing University in southwest of China sent seeds of cotton, rape, potato and Arabidopsis, as well as fruit fly eggs and some yeast, according to Xinhua news agency.

Carried by the Chang'e-4 mission, the scientists succeeded in bearing fruit on the moon.

“[The experiment was] to form a simple mini biosphere,” the scientists said.

The report said the images received from the mission showed that a cotton sprout had grown well adding that “no other plants were found growing.”