Chinese scientists will attempt to grow potatoes on the moon as part of a forthcoming lunar mission.

According to a report in the Chongqing Morning Post, cited by BBC, the potatoes will be sealed inside a “mini-ecosystem” as part the Chang’e-4 mission due to launch next year.
They’ll be sharing a small cylinder on the surface of the Earth’s only natural satellite with silkworm larvae as part of a series of experiments, Professor Xie Gengxin of ChongqingUniversity told the paper.

The goal is to see whether the insects and spuds will survive on the lunar surface, and the end result will yield important insights about the viability of a future human colony, China Radio International says.

By now, a team of world-class scientists succeeded to grow potatoes under Martian conditions.

The experiment, led by the International Potato Center (CIP) and NASA, was considered a major step towards building a controlled dome on Mars capable of farming the invaluable crop in order to demonstrate that potatoes can be grown in the most inhospitable environments.