1

From MIR to ISS

Experiment on study of plants’ growth and ripening in space flight conditions

2

“GREENHOUSE” SPACE EXPERIMENT

GOALS creation of technical complex to grow plants on-board space stationstudy of plants’ growth and ripening in space flight conditions

SPACE EXPERIMENT FACILITIES

TECHNICAL STUFF – The “Light” Greenhouse equipped with gaging equipment (joint working out of the Institute of Biomedical Problems and Space Research Institute of Belarusan Academy of Science)FLIGHT EQUIPMENT: plants growing chamber; plant-house (root module); lighthead; control unit.GAGING EQUIPMENT: gas analyzer (GAS) – designed by US personnel; pouch with substratum humidity sensors; system of environmental parameters measurements (EDS);

power unit (PDS); PC (data collection and operation).

3

EXPERIMENT CHRONICLE Stages Year Increment Unit Experiment goals

1 2 3 4 5

I stage 1988 ЭО-13 “Lightblock" Growth and development of “Erythrosperum” wheat – 19 days

1991 ЭО-17 “Lightblock" Cultivation of “Super Midget” wheat – 157 days

II stage 1995 ЭО-19/20 Greenhouse “Light” Cultivation of “Super Midget” wheat – 90 days.

1996 ЭО-22/НАСА-3 Greenhouse “Light”with the system of environmental parameters

measurements (EDS);

Cultivation of “Super Midget” wheat – 123 days. Phased selection

of bioassays.

1996-1997

ЭО-23/НАСА-4 Greenhouse “Light” Wheat cultivation. Fixation to perform biochemical tests

1998 ЭО-24/ НАСА-5 Greenhouse “Light” Cultivation of Brassica Kapa cabbage. Full vegetation phase – 35 days.

4

EXPERIMENT CHRONICLE

Stages Year Increment UnitExperiment goals

1998-1999 ЭО-25-ЭО-26 Greenhouse “Light” Cultivation of “Apogee” wheat which is resistant to ethylene – 90 days.

1999 ЭО-27 Greenhouse “Light” Cultivation of “Apogee” wheat from seed grown in space

III этап 2000-

Experiment resultsCreation of System of plant cultivation in space flight conditions Polished up conditions of plant growth and surrounding parameters control system There is a first wheat cultivation in space flight, plants has passed the total circle of its biological

conditions

Principal investigator: Institute of Biomedical Problems (Russia)

5

Greenhouse “Light”

Sprouts of “Apogee” wheat

6

Results and analysisResults Deviation Analysis Output Stage

Significant press down on plants growth.

No ventilation and significant volume of harmful admixtures

Perfect of ventilation system

Plants height 13 sm. No seed. Low lighting Perfect of lighthead * completed

Transgression of development cycle: 12-16 leaf has no spikes

Lighting is not sufficient Polished up cultivation technology

Low growth of seed. Sprouts - 2,7 times more. Height of sprouts – 2 times lower.

All parameters of environment were in boundaries.

Control of environmental parameters

Ear size – 2 times lower. There are no seed on ears.

Increased ethylene abundance in space station MIR atmosphere

Necessary to select ethylene resistant plants

7

Results Deviation Analysis Output Stage

Plants reach stage of ripening. Seed development analysis Failure in usage of American atmosphere cleaning filters

Plants passed through the whole development circle. First wheat seed

were grown in space flight. There are no deviations in plants development

System of plants cultivation completely were polished up

Plants passed through the whole development circle and seed were grown.

There are no deviations in plants development

Plants could grow and seed in space flight conditions.Microgravity does not restrict its development.

* completed

Problems:Station close volume factor could make negative influence on plants development. Goal for the future – to organize sufficient environmental control.

Results and analysis

8

Special direction

of biological researches is a studying of possibility of the total cycle of plants development under space flight conditions. There is greenhouse which is called LADA on-board ISS. Its’ goal to grow up small number of plants, which could be added to crew’s food. These are salads in general (Pekinese cabbage, etc). Optimal conditions of their growing are working out. Estimated that big greenhouse will be delivered to ISS. This greenhouse will permanently work and crews will have fresh salads on lunch. Final goal of these studies on plants and domestic animals growing should be creation of bio-technical life support system. Plants, besides their food value, will produce oxygen, will absorb carbonic acid thereby will partially renew atmospheric balance of space station.

9

10

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES ON THE ISS RUSSIAN SEGMENT BIO_MEDICAL RESEARCHES AND EXPERIIMENTS

EXPERIMENT “PLANT-2” Scientific Advisor: Sytchev V.N.

Goal:• Realization of researches to solve questions of fundamental biology and optimization of plants cultivation procedures

for future greenhouses as a part of prospective space life support systems.

Objectives:• Assembling and preparation of equipment to perform experiment. • Study of features of greenhouse LADA plant unit water-air condition under space flight conditions.• Study of cultivation technology of vegetables (Midzuna salad, Micro-Tom tiny tomatoes, tiny (red) pea) as applied to

regular greenhouse units. • Study of space flight factors on growth and development of plants, which are prospective for usage in space

vitaminous conservatories. • Study of plants germinating and vital ability. • Study of plants development phenology. • Study of plants reproductive function and getting of the second generation of space seed. • Study of chemistry of plants and seed, grown in microgravity, to determine the percentage of nitrogenous compounds

in vegetative biomass. • Determination of ethylene concentration in ISS Russian segment atmosphere.

Expected results:Evaluation of productive characteristics of legumes and leaf vegetables in microgravity, perfect of agrotechnical methods to

advance technologies of close ecological life support system onboard of space vehicles.

11

Scientific equipment:1.Greenhouse “LADA”:- Control unit;- Lighthead;- Plant growing chamber;- Root module;- Water container.As a modular system Greenhouse “LADA” provides maximum of flexibility, its dimensions are four time less than dimensions of Greenhouse “Light” which was used onboard MIR Space Station. 2.Pouch “Outfits”.

Used equipment: - Water container; - Intake SVO-3V; - Camcorder SONY DVCamto register crew activity with Greenhouse.

Consumption: Pouch “Plants” - to return plants samples to Earth. Video tape.

 

12

Greenhouse “LADA” - Control unit;- Lighthead;

- Plants growing chamber;- Root-module