Plants sprout on moon's far side

Despite huge temperature changes, strong radiation and a vacuum on the moon, tender green shoots of cotton have sprouted in a sealed can there, marking China's successful development of the first plant growth on the lunar surface.

Scientists have conducted many biological tests aboard space stations and other spacecraft, but never on the surface of the moon.

At 8 pm on Saturday, the biological experiment sent back a photo showing that the cotton shoots had emerged and the plants were growing well inside the sealed test can, according to Chongqing University, which leads the biological science project for the Chang'e 4 mission.