NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Designing Extraterrestrial Plant Growth Habitats With Low Pressure AtmospheresIn-situ resource utilization, provision of human life support requirements by bioregenerative methods, and engineering constraints for construction and deployment of plant growth structures on the surface of Mars all suggest the need for plant growth studies at hypobaric pressures. Past work demonstrated that plants will likely tolerate and grow at pressures at or below 10 kPa. Based upon this premise, concepts are developed for the design of reduced pressure atmospheres in lightweight, inflatable structures for plant growth systems on Mars with the goals of maximizing design simplicity and the use of local resources. A modular pod design is proposed as it could be integrated with large-scale production systems. Atmospheric modification of pod clusters would be based upon a pulse and scrub system using mass flow methods for atmospheric transport. A specific modification and control scenario is developed for a lettuce pod to illustrate the dynamics of carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange within a pod. Considerations of minimal atmospheric crop requirements will aid in the development of engineering designs and strategies for extraterrestrial plant growth structures that employ rarefied atmospheres.
Document ID
20010110011
Acquisition Source
Kennedy Space Center
Document Type
Other
Authors
Corey, Kenneth A.
(Massachusetts Univ. MA United States)
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
October 1, 2001
Publication Information
Publication: 2000 Research Reports: NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Document Inquiry

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available