Autonomous Multi-cycle Farming in Space

1. Autonomous Multi-cycle Farming in Space Philip CHaN

2. Motivation • Long missions in space • e.g. Lunar/Martian surface habitat, transit to Mars • Able to grow food is important • Otherwise, food has to be shipped from Earth • Astronaut time is valuable • Farming might be lower priority • Bonus: reduce CO2 and increase O2

3. Problem/Goal • Autonomous system from seed to harvest on a spacecraft (e.g. ISS) • A complete cycle • Multiple cycles with clean up and preparation • High crop yield • Highly reliable • Low power usage • Low weight • A system that can fit as an experiment on ISS

4. Approach • Seed • Grow • Harvest • Clean up & prepare for the next cycle • Repeat • Step 4 includes recycling “waste” (e.g. composing) • Challenges on growing • http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/117798919

5. Microgravity is a challenge • Seed  seeds and soil might float • Grow  water might float • Harvest  harvested plants might float • Clean up & prepare for the next cycle  … float • Repeat • KSC focuses on Steps ~1 & 2 • uses a “pillow” for Steps 1 & 2 • but might interfere with Steps 3 and 4

6. Autonomy is a challenge • Seed  when, where, how, … • Grow  when, where, how, how much water/light, … • Harvest  when, where, how, where to store, … • Clean up & prepare for the next cycle  when, where, how, … • Repeat • Not designed for space, not fully autonomous multi-cycle • farm.bot • plenty.ag

7. Cleanup/preparation is a challenge Seed Grow  a focus of KSC (growth conditions) Harvest Clean up & prepare  least investigated by KSC Repeat Do we want to separate waste? Or leave it in ? How to compose waste with no/minimum additional materials? [no Walmart in space] How can we speed up composing if it takes too long? What soil condition with no/minimum additional materials are needed for the next cycle?

8. An Idea for Plants • Microgreens • Baby plants • Nutritious • Can be densely packed • “Easier” to harvest • No need to separate leaves from stems or pick fruits • less “waste” to recycle

9. Experiment Locker on ISS • https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/360394main_P05_0940_MSFC.pdf • ~17 in (W) x ~9 (H) x ~20 (D) • ~2 cubic feet • External power • Internal water, light, computer, …

10. Growing • Substrate • Soil • Water—hydroponic • KSC uses materials related to cat litter • which can hold water and air better in microgravity • Lighting • Being too close can stress the plant

11. Harvesting and Recycling • Growth substrates • Influence how to harvest • If the whole plant (with the root) is harvested • No roots to recycle/compose • But need some sort of cleaning • Composing is relatively long compared to growing • Microgreens need some gentle harvesting

12. A plant maker • Input • Seeds • Water • Fertilizers • (external power) • Output: • Edible microgreens

13. Related KSC projects • VEGGIE (Vegetable Production System) • https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/blog/22/nasa-veggie-project • Advanced Plant habitat (APH) • https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2036

14. Interdisciplinary Team BIO CSE ECE MEE

15. Contact Information CSE: Philip Chan (pkc@cs.fit.edu) MEE: Lisa Kames (ekames2011@my.fit.edu) BIO: Andrew Palmer (apalmer@fit.edu) ECE: Ken Gibbs (gibbsk@fit.edu)