CHONGQING — A cotton seed, carried to the moon by China’s Chang’e-4 probe, is the first ever to sprout on the moon, according to scientists of a mini biosphere experiment on Jan 15.

After making the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon, China’s Chang’e-4 mission pioneered the first mini biosphere experiment on the moon.

The Chang’e-4 probe carried the seeds of cotton, rape, potato and arabidopsis, as well as eggs of the fruit fly and some yeast, to form a simple mini biosphere, according to a team led by scientists from Chongqing University in Southwest China.

Images sent back by the probe showed that a cotton sprout had grown well, though no other plants were found growing.