Arizona/NASA Ralph C. Steckler Space Grant ColonizationResearch and Technology Development Grant

Phase Reviews

26 February 2014Washington, DC

“Lunar Greenhouse Prototype for Bioregenerative Life Support System”

Tim Swindle,

Arizona NASA Space Grant PI

Susan Brew,

Arizona NASA Space Grant Program Manager

Gene Giacomelli

Principal Technical Investigator

University of Arizona

Controlled Environment Agriculture Center

Phase 1 & 2 Objectives Completed & Delivered

•Food production capability (kg per area per time);

•Water balance (liquid irrigation water, biomass and water vapor);

•Carbon balance (gaseous carbon dioxide and biomass);

•Energy balance (electrical/heat/light/food calories);

•Fertilizer consumption analysis (kg per area per time);

•Environmental Control Analysis (spatial/temperal climate uniformity);

•Document the system operational requirements, capabilities and weaknesses, with crops (lettuce, tomatoes, sweet potato, and strawberry).

•Expand from one to four LGH Units•Enhance Monitoring/Controls of Initial LGH•Develop Model for Simulation and Control (MEC)•Enhance Cable Culture Plant Growth

RALPH STECKLER/NASA SPACE GRANT SPACE COLONIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PHASES 1 AND 2: LUNAR GREENHOUSE PROTOTYPE FOR BIOREGENERATIVE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Phase 1: January 2010 - September 2010 with NCE until July 2011 $70,000Phase 2: July 2011 - June 2013 with NCE until December 2013 $250,000 (+ $16,000)

2.1

m

21 m3 LGH + 2 m3 HVAC

3.5 VAC/day = 0.15 VAC/h

Lunar Greenhouse Prototype

Phase 1 & 2 Hardware

Phase 1 LGH Life Support Production Results

Water (kg)

Oxygen (kg)

Biomass (kg)

(kg)

( kg

)

C4 = 58 Day Closure Interval

Change in growth after 58 days

Deliverables - Phase 1 & 2 Prod & Ops Results

Remote Experts Network Decision Support System

(RENDSys)(David Story and Murat Kacira, Agric. & Biosystems Engineering)

System Overview Generate Reports

Set & Manage Alarms Message Board

Deliverables – Decision Support System

Machine Vision Guided Crop Health and Growth Monitoring(David Story and Murat Kacira, Agric. & Biosystems Engineering)

TechnologyResearchInitiativeFund

Crop Features

Monitored/Determined

from RGB, NIR, IR images

Multi variable based

early stress and stress

locality detection

Deliverables – Education & Science support

Himawari focusing and tracking solar collector

(located adjacent to UA-CEAC Extreme Climate Lab)

Fresnel Lens, Fiber Optic Bundle, Capture PAR for plant growth,

Infrared for heat, and UV for PV electric power, separately.

Deliverables – Solar Concentrator Power System

Modified Energy Cascade (MEC) Model adapted for a

Multicrop Lunar Greenhouse Prototype

Objective

Develop (and validate) an energy cascade model for a multi-crop lunar

greenhouse system, validate its performance, and identify the

sensitivity of the model outputs to the input parameters.

*Boscheri, Kacira, Patterson et. al. with colaboration from TAS-I & Arizona

Model Predicted Values

Biomass produced

Net O2 produced

Water condensate produced

Water consumed

Net CO2 consumed

Fertilizer consumed

Deliverables – MEC Model

*Boscheri, G., M. Kacira, L. Patterson, G. Giacomelli, P. Sadler, R. Furfaro, C. Lobascio, M. Lamantea, L. Grizzaffi. 2012.

Modified energy cascade model adapted for a multicrop lunar greenhouse prototype. Advances in Space Research, 50: 941-951

Management and control of LGH

from the South Pole Station

January – November 2013

South Pole Station

Deliverables - Telepresence

Student education and Outreach to world

Chris Pagliarulo, AZ Space Grant Fellow (far upper left), and Lane Patterson, Graduate

Student (far right) with visiting Sunnyside High School students. Webcam, LGH Lab,

UA-CEAC

Actual “live” view from web camera located within LGH Lab

Deliverables – Outreach & Education

TAS-I Contribution to Steckler

Collaborative Effort Activity List:

• Introduce space-oriented insight into LGH design

• LGH metric evaluations (ESM)

• Study on liquid streams (e.g. condensate, etc.)

• Exploitation of Phase 1 Modified MEC predictive model

• Tests in EDEN plant growth chamber

• Demonstration of tele-presence features

Deliverables – International Aerospace

Multiple Plant Production System Units In a Closed System [Phase 3]

• Lunar Habitat Concept• Integration of 4 LGH’s• Bio-recycle Module• Solar Concentrated Power System and Algae Battery

Phase 3

Phase 3 Projected Efforts

Moon Base Architecture for Future Lunar Outposts

• Lunar Habitat Concept• Integration of 4 LGH’s

Phase 3

Greenhouse

Greenhouse

Rover

Stores/Shops

Docking

Berthing

Galley Module

Entrance/Air Lock

Solar Collectors (SCPS)

Post Harvest/Waste Recycling/LavatoryHub Module

C

Copyright Phil Sadler

Phase 3 Projected Efforts

Make the 3 additional Lunar Greenhouse Units operational to level of LGH Unit 1.

Phase 3 • Integration of 4 LGH’s

Phase 3 Projected Efforts

The University of

Arizona

Controlled Environment Agriculture CenterAgricultural & Biosystems Engineering

Systems and Industrial Engineering

Sadler Machine CompanyThales Alenia-Space (TAS-I)

Aero-Sekur, SpAHungry Planets Systems

NASA-KSCNASA-Ames

National Research Council, ItalyUniversity of Naples Federico II

University of Southern CaliforniaPima Community College

Safford Middle School

Primary Collaborators

Bio-Regenerative Life Support System Development for Lunar/Mars Habitats

Gene Giacomelli, Roberto Furfaro, Murat Kacira, Lane Patterson and David StoryThe University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Giorgio Boscheri and Cesare Lobascio, with Mateo Lamantea & Lucia GrizzaffiThales Alenia Space - Italia, Torino, Italy

Phil SadlerSadler Machine Company, Tempe, Arizona

Silvio Rossignoli, with Marzia Pirolli, Roberta Remiddi & Marco AdamiAero-Sekur SpA, Aprilia, Italy

Madhu ThangaveluUniversity of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

Dr Alberto Battistelli

National Research Council, Institute Agro-environmental Biology & Forestry, Italy

Dr. Stefania DePascale

University of Naples Federico II, Italy

Michael Munday

Hungry Planets Systems

Alex Kallas

Agpals; San Diego Urban Homesteaders

Primary Participants

Raymond Wheeler, NASA Technical AdvisorJohn Hogan, NASA-Ames Technical Support

Gene Giacomelli, UA-CEAC faculty, Technical PIPhil Sadler, Sadler Machine Co, Primary Small Business CollaboratorRoberto Furfaro, UA-SIE-AME faculty, Co-PIMurat Kacira, UA-CEAC faculty, Co-PILane Patterson, UA-CEAC, Project Engineer, Lab ManagerCesare Lobascio, Thales-Alenia Space- Italy, Industry CollaboratorGiorgio Boscheri, Thales-Alenia Space- Italy, Industry CollaboratorSilvio Rossignoli, Aero-Sekur, Industry CollaboratorMarzia Pirolli, Aero-Sekur, Industry CollaboratorDr. Alberto Battistelli, National Research Council, ItalyDr. David Story, UA-CEAC, PhD StudentEhab Tamimi, UA-CEAC, MS Student

Acknowledgements

Brandon Parham, former student and Crop ManagerMonica Garcia-Teruel, former student and Crop ManagerDerrick Wibben, UA StudentMichael Downing, UA-CEAC, StudentThomas Hillebrand, UA-CEAC, StudentTyler Jensen, UA-CEAC, StudentMarianna Yanes, UA StudentErica Hernandez , Pima-UA StudentCaitlyn Hall , Pima-UA StudentSean Gellenbeck, UA StudentAlison Burton, UA-CEAC StudentNeal Barto, UA-CEAC Project EngineerCody Sheehy, CALS- CCT, Video Producer

Michael Munday, Hungry Planets SystemsDr. Madhu Thangavelu, University Southern CaliforniaDr. Daniel Wright, Pima County CollegeMaria Catalina, Astronaut Teachers AllianceAlex Kallas, Ag PalsClaire Corcoran, Student videographer

Acknowledgements

End presentation

Begin Appendices

RALPH STECKLER/NASA SPACE GRANT SPACE COLONIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PHASES 1 AND 2:

LUNAR GREENHOUSE PROTOTYPE FOR BIOREGENERATIVE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Introduction

The Arizona Space Grant Consortium received Phases 1 and 2 NASA Steckler Space Grant awards for the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center

(UA-CEAC), working with a small U.S. business Sadler Machine Company (SMC), and international collaborators (TAS-I, Aero-Sekur), to develop a prototype Lunar Greenhouse (LGH). LGH is a

Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS) that grows crops, while simultaneously recycling water and air, designed to give astronauts the essentials to keep them alive and healthy during

space missions. In addition during Phase 2, a Lunar Greenhouse and Outreach Teaching Module (LGH-OTM), a portable version of the Lunar Greenhouse, was developed. Plants grown in the

LGH-OTM are NASA targeted crops selected to provide astronauts with half of their daily caloric intake, and recycling the system ’s water and air will provide astronauts all their oxygen and water

needs. The goal for LGH-OTM is to travel the nation, educating audiences of all ages about the possibility of a future lunar greenhouse outpost, hydroponics, and recycling Earth’s natural

resources.

Phase 1: January 2010 - September 2010 with NCE until July 2011 $70,000

Goals and Objectives Summary

The overarching goal of LGH Steckler Phase 1 work was to establish the technical merit and feasibility of a high fidelity membrane structure (the existing prototype LGH), and its food production

system (Cable Culture) by demonstrating and evaluating its biological performance. The overall research goals were to: a) demonstrate mono- and poly-culture crop production, b) determine the

LGH system mass balances and flow of input/output resources, and c) utilize telepresence techniques for monitoring system operations, and provide a portal to generate public interest in lunar

science outpost missions. The lightweight, highly flexible Cable Culture hydroponic plant production system is the heart of the LGH BLSS mechanism, and the first of its kind considered for this

application. The specific goals of the Phase I investigation included using the existing LGH-1 to:

Determine the food production capability (kg per unit area per unit time);

Determine the water balance (liquid irrigation water, biomass and water vapor);

Determine the carbon balance (gaseous carbon dioxide and biomass);

Determine the energy to radiation balance (electrical power and lamp output);

Document the system operational requirements, capabilities and weaknesses, while demonstrating the innovative Cable Culture plant growing system by producing a combination of NASA-

targeted crops (lettuce greens, cucumber, sweet potato, and strawberry).

Phase 2: July 2011 - June 2013 with NCE until December 2013 $250,000

Goals and Objectives Summary

The overarching goal of Phase 2 is to evaluate a BLSS approach for a sustained human surface presence on the Moon (or Mars) for a four-person crew by the development and/or

demonstration of poly-culture crop production, system mass balances and flow of input/output resources, biomass recycling, energy generation, and monitoring/control with non-contact sensing

and telepresence technologies. International collaboration includes faculty and student participants in LGH research and development sponsored by foreign space agencies (i.e.. ASI). NASA

Educational Objectives are addressed utilizing communication technologies that allow participation with the BLSS, to generate greater public understanding of and interest in lunar/Mars science

outpost missions. We capitalized on Phase I information and experiences to improve recycling capabilities of the gaseous, liquid and solid phases of the systems, to increase food production

efficiency (kg/unit time/resource input), and to increase fidelity of the LGH-1 facility. Additional work goals are to:

Add three additional LGH units to the existing LGH-1 unit, enclose the interconnecting hallway, and then evaluate performance and document operational requirements of the four units

in terms of water, carbon, energy and radiation balance, as well as determine food production;

Demonstrate and evaluate water and biomass waste recycling through composting;

Advance the monitoring capability of LGH-1 by integrating the crop health/growth monitoring with non-contact and wireless technologies;

Develop a telepresence decision support system for operations control of the LGH-1 unit;

Evaluate performance and impact of Fresnel Solar Concentrator Power System (SCSP) for non-PAR electrical power generation and thermal energy collection; and

Develop national and international cooperation with researchers and students. Phase II will attempt to get all the BLSS systems completed and generating data.

Phase 2: Augmentation – Summer 2012 $16,000

Goals and Objectives Summary

Funding generated via a successful 16K augmentation proposal was used to enhance our capabilities to educate and involve American students and citizens in NASA’s exciting and far-reaching

research and development in the area of BLSS. With Steckler II augmentation funds, we proposed further development and implementation of the LGH-OTM. The UA CEAC, SMC, and Desert

Rain Research, have major investment in the design, development, manufacture and operations of the LGH-OTM, and successfully demonstrated its capabilities as a traveling educational exhibit

during the summer 2012 to well over a million visitors at the San Diego County Fair. Following the San Diego “test run”, we accepted an invitation to exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Science

Background