Chang’e-4, the Chinese vehicle that made waves recently for making the first soft landing on the far side of the moon, isn't done mystifying those of us down here on Earth.
In addition to a lander and rover, Chang’e-4 also features a six pound canister filled with a variety of seeds—like that of cotton and potatoes—along with fruit fly eggs and yeast. The intention is to create a miniature ecosystem that could provide more information to scientists on the feasibility of sustaining life on a planet outside of our biological origin.
Now, Chang’e-4 has achieved a first for the second time: The cotton seeds in the canister have begun to sprout, making these plants the first to be grown on a planetary body other than Earth.
People all over the planet were amazed.
The remarkable achievement got many thinking about the implications as well.
As they looked to the stars, Twitter users began speculating on the future.
Naturally, there were questions.
But as Chang'e-4 has demonstrated, there are plenty of scientists ready to find the answers.
