Introducing EDEN ISS - A European project on advancing plant cultivation technologies and operations

Plant cultivation in large-scale closed environments is challenging and several key technologies necessary for space-based plant production are not yet space-qualified or remain in early stages of development. The EDEN ISS project foresees development and demonstration of higher plant cultivation technologies, suitable for future deployment on the International Space Station and from a long-term perspective, within Moon and Mars habitats. The EDEN ISS consortium will design and test essential plant cultivation technologies using an International Standard Payload Rack form factor cultivation system for potential testing on-board the International Space Station. Furthermore, a Future Exploration Greenhouse will be designed with respect to future planetary bio-regenerative life support system deployments. The technologies will be tested in a laboratory environment as well as at the highly-isolated German Antarctic Neumayer Station III. A small and mobile container-sized test facility will be built in order to provide realistic mass flow relationships. In addition to technology development and validation, food safety and plant handling procedures will be developed. This paper describes the goals and objectives of EDEN ISS and the different project phases and milestones. Furthermore, the project consortium will be introduced and the role of each partner within the project is explained

Main performance results of the EDEN ISS rack-like plant growth facility

Plant cultivation in large-scale closed environments is challenging and several key technologies necessary for space-based plant production are not yet space-qualified or remain in early stages of development. The Horizon2020 EDEN ISS project aims at development and demonstration of higher plant cultivation technologies, suitable for near term deployment on the International Space Station (ISS) and from a long-term perspective, within Moon and Mars habitats. The EDEN ISS consortium, as part of the performed activities, has designed and built a plant cultivation system to have form, fit and function of an European Drawer Rack 2 (EDR II) payload, with a modularity that would allow its incremental installation in the ISS homonymous rack, occupying from one-quarter rack to the full system. The construction phase is completed, and the developed system is being tested in a laboratory environment, planned for further validation at the highly-isolated German Antarctic Neumayer Station III, in a container-sized test facility to provide realistic mass flow relationships and interaction with a crewed environment. This paper describes the system as built and the key results of the first ISPR plant growth facility laboratory tests

Space Safety and Human Performance

Space Safety and Human Performance provides a comprehensive reference for engineers and technical managers within aerospace and high technology companies, space agencies, operators, and consulting firms. The book draws upon the expertise of the world's leading experts in the field and focuses primarily on humans in spaceflight, but also covers operators of control centers on the ground and behavior aspects of complex organizations, thus addressing the entire spectrum of space actors. During spaceflight, human performance can be deeply affected by physical, psychological and psychosocial stressors. Strict selection, intensive training and adequate operational rules are used to fight performance degradation and prepare individuals and teams to effectively manage systems failures and challenging emergencies. The book is endorsed by the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS)

Space Safety and Human Performance

Space Safety and Human Performance provides a comprehensive reference for engineers and technical managers within aerospace and high technology companies, space agencies, operators, and consulting firms. The book draws upon the expertise of the world’s leading experts in the field and focuses primarily on humans in spaceflight, but also covers operators of control centers on the ground and behavior aspects of complex organizations, thus addressing the entire spectrum of space actors. During spaceflight, human performance can be deeply affected by physical, psychological and psychosocial stressors. Strict selection, intensive training and adequate operational rules are used to fight performance degradation and prepare individuals and teams to effectively manage systems failures and challenging emergencies. The book is endorsed by the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS)

Study, simulation and design of a 3D clinostat

High cost and limited number of physically executable experiments in space have introduced the need for ground simulation systems that enable preparing experiments to be carried out on board, identifying phenomena associated with the altered gravity conditions, and taking advantage of these conditions, as in Biotechnology. Among systems developed to simulate microgravity, especially for life sciences experiments, different types of clinostats were realized. This work deals with mechanical design of a three-dimensional clinostat and simulation of the dynamic behavior of the system by varying the operating parameters. The design and simulation phase was preceded by a careful analysis of the state of art and by the review of the most recent results, in particular from the major investigators of Life Sciences in Space. The mechanical design is quite innovative by adoption of a structure entirely in aluminum, which allows robustness while reducing the overall weight. The transmission system of motion has been optimized by means of brushless DC micro motors, light and compact, which helped to reduce weight, dimensions, power consumption and increase the reliability and durability of the system. The study of the dynamic behavior using SIMPACK, a multibody simulation software, led to results in line with those found in the most important and recent scientific publications. This model was also appropriately configured to represent any desired operating condition, and for eventual system scalability. It would be interesting to generate simulated hypogravity - e.g.: 0.38-g (Mars) or 0.17-g (Moon). This would allow to investigate how terrestrial life forms can grow in other planetary habitats, or to determine the gravity threshold response of different organisms. At the moment, such a system can only be achieved by centrifuges in real microgravity. We are confident that simulation and associated tests with our 3D clinostat can help adjusting the parameters allowing variable g conditions on ground

Explora: Esplorazione umana e robotica dello spazio

EXPLORA Siamo soli nell’universo? Qual è l’origine della vita sulla Terra? Potremo un giorno realizzare insediamenti umani al di fuori del nostro pianeta utilizzando le piante quale fonte di energia e vita? Il viaggio inizia ...... e ci porta nello spazio profondo, dove solo sonde sofisticate possono arrivare. Ma saliremo anche a bordo della stazione spaziale internazionale dove astronauti, provenienti da ogni parte del mondo, soggiornano ininterrottamente da più di 15 anni, alternando vari equipaggi. Esploriamo per comprendere l’universo che ci circonda, la capacità della vita di adattarsi a condizioni estreme e ricercarla altrove. Abbiamo esplorato pianeti rocciosi, pianeti giganti e messo in luce il grande interesse esobiologico di mondi quali Europa, Encelado e Ganimede che nascondono, con ogni probabilità, un oceano di acqua al di sotto della loro superficie. Come Marte, di cui, nel 2018, è stata accertata, da un radar italiano a bordo della sonda Mars Express, la presenza di acqua allo stato liquido nel sottosuolo. Una grandissima scoperta scientifica che fa onore al nostro paese. Siamo atterrati sulla Luna, Venere, Marte, Titano e persino su una cometa, la Churyumov-Gerasimenko dove abbiamo trovato il più semplice degli amminoacidi (la glicina), ma anche il fosforo (che si trova negli acidi nucleici). L’uomo, nel frattempo, ha costruito una casa/laboratorio, che viaggia veloce , orbitando 400Km sopra alla Terra. Questa sofisticata e complessa struttura potrà fornire indicazioni e risposte utili sulla nostra concreta possibilità di vivere su altri pianeti. Perché è lì che un giorno vorremmo arrivare. E così, i viaggi robotici interplanetari e le missioni umane vanno a braccetto. Gli uni esplorando i pianeti e, le altre, la possibilità che l’uomo possa vivere in luoghi diversi e lontani scrutati e studiati dalle sonde che lo hanno preceduto. Ad oggi Marte è considerata la meta più probabile, ma sono diverse le destinazioni potenzialmente interessanti nel nostro sistema solare. Questo piccolo, grande viaggio è quello che faremo insieme nelle pagine che seguono...... R. Battisto