Food grows better on the moon than on Mars, scientists find

Two domes and one under construction are connect by short tubes on the grey surface of the moon. Neighboring the their upper left, two additional domes, like mounds covered with moon dust, and rows of solar panels on the right. Above in the black sky, Earth hangs upper left.

Elon Musk might have his sights set on settling Mars, but recent experiments that utilized extraterrestrial soil suggest human settlements could have a far easier time on the moon.

Scientists have come up with many ideas for growing food in outer space. One concerns growing plants directly in water (called hydroponics), for instance, and another is growing them using misted nutrients from the air (called aeroponics). But both of these options are expensive, so some scientists are also exploring a more traditional method of feeding future astronauts — growing crops directly in lunar and Martian soil.