SPACE LAB TECHNOLOGIES, LLC — National Aeronautics and Space Administration STTR Phase I: T7

Description

<p>The MarsOasis&trade; cultivation system is a versatile, autonomous, environmentally controlled growth chamber for food provision on the Martian surface. &nbsp;MarsOasis&trade; integrates a wealth of prior research and Mars growth chamber concepts into a complete system design and operational prototype.&nbsp; MarsOasis&trade; includes several innovative features relative to the state of the art space growth chambers. &nbsp;It can operate on the Mars surface or inside of a habitat.&nbsp; The growth volume maximizes growth area and supports a variety of crop sizes, from seeding through harvest.&nbsp; It utilizes in-situ CO₂ from the Mars atmosphere.&nbsp; Hybrid lighting takes advantage of natural sunlight during warmer periods, and supplemental LEDs during extreme cold, low light, or indoor operation.&nbsp; Recirculating hydroponics and humidity recycling minimize water loss.&nbsp; The structure also supports a variety of hydroponic nutrient delivery methods, depending on crop needs.&nbsp; The growth chamber uses solar power when outside, with deployable solar panels that stow during dust storms or at night.&nbsp; It can also use power from the habitat or other external sources.&nbsp; The growth chamber is mobile, so that the crew can easily relocate it.&nbsp; Autonomous environmental control manages crop conditions reducing crew time for operation. Finally, remote teleoperation allows pre-deployment, prior to crew arrival. &nbsp;&nbsp;This project directly addresses the NASA STTR technology area T7.02 &ldquo;Space Exploration Plant Growth&rdquo; and will be a major step towards closed-loop, sustainable living systems for space exploration.&nbsp; This collaborative effort between Space Lab Technologies, LLC and the Bioastronautics research group from the CU Boulder Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department combines conceptual design, modeling &amp; analysis, experimentation, and prototyping to demonstrate feasibility and prepare for future development of a demonstration unit.</p>