The Economic Times

In 1969, Neil Armstrong brought Moon rocks back to Earth. NASA fed some of the lunar dust to German cockroaches, Japanese quail, and other animals

Following the Apollo 11 mission, NASA embarked on some groundbreaking biological experiments involving lunar samples. They conducted tests by feeding German cockroaches, injecting mice, and exposing quail to lunar dust. Additionally, they assessed the safety of plants such as tomatoes and onions in lunar soil. These measures were crucial to confirm that extraterrestrial materials were safe for Earth's ecosystem, leading to the relaxation of stringent quarantine rules in subsequent missions.