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Based upon the development experience and flight heritage of the Biomass Production System, the Plant Research Unit embodies the next generation in the evolution of on-orbit plant research systems. The design focuses on providing the finest scientific instrument possible, as well as providing a sound platform to support future capabilities and enhancements. Performance advancements, modularity and robustness characterize the design. This new system will provide a field ready, highly reliable research tool.

The ECLSS (Environmentally Controlled Life Support System) project goals are to identify key requirements and guidelines for a Life Support System (LSS) for surface missions based on the Exploration Spirals, to review the various technology options and candidates to fulfill the life support functionality, and to conduct initial trades and assessments at a high level. With the completion of the first six month phase of the project, ORBITEC has generated and shown that for each Exploration Spiral, different LSS architectures are optimal, but when an entire mission model is considered, hybrid systems become more attractive. Also, we can easily show that future spiral requirements should and will influence the technologies and level of closure for earlier spiral developments to reduce overall development and implementation costs, and to increase commonality across the Constellation systems.

Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) and the University of Wisconsin (UW) have demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing plasma manufacturing methods to functionalize fluid handling surfaces. Performance of hydrophilic coatings generated with both oxygen plasma and dichlorosilane plasma on aluminum (SiH2Cl2) substrates was demonstrated. Both give similar results, significantly decreasing contact angles and improving wicking ability of machined capillary grooves. Deposition of silver nanoparticles using plasma was also demonstrated and tested. Silver concentrations of 2% were obtained on hydrophilic-coated samples. Testing indicated that the silver-coated samples were biocidal against Listeria monocytogenes. Oxide-coated aluminum substrates were also shown to exhibit biocidal action against L. monocytogenes and a variety of other microorganisms.

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is an important part of current mission architectures for both a return to the Moon and the eventual human exploration of Mars. ORBITEC has developed and demonstrated an innovative direct energy processing approach for carbon-reduction of lunar and Martian regolith that can operate in a nearly closed-loop manner. Carbon-reduction of regolith produces oxygen and a variety of other useful products, including silicon, iron and glass ceramic materials. In addition, various ISRU propulsion technologies that utilize lunar and Martian resources have been developed and demonstrated. Work is also being conducted with the USDA on techniques to use biomass and waste materials to manufacture items such as shelters, furniture, filters and paper. Atmospheric carbon dioxide on Mars would be used to support the production of biomass in excess of life support needs to be used as the raw material to manufacture useful products on-site.

The CANDS (Circulating, Aeration, and Nutrient Delivery System) Phase II SBIR is currently developing and testing methods and procedures to control moisture, oxygen, and temperature in the root zone of a particulate based micro-gravity nutrient delivery system. The completion of the first year and a half of the CANDS Phase II SBIR has shown significant engineering developments towards environmental control of the root zone. These developments include the measurement of root zone oxygen content, characterization of forced and flood-ebb aeration rates, successful control of root zone moisture using miniature heat-pulse moisture sensors, and successful control of root zone temperature via an insulating/temperature controlling water jacket. At the conclusion of the CANDS Phase II SBIR an integrated root zone environmental control system will be constructed for integration into plant growth systems to eliminate the uncertainties that exist in current plant growth data.

High reliability and system flexibility are driving factors in the Plant Research Unit development. Proper selection of the unit electrical and software control architecture is fundamental to achieving these goals. Key features of the PRU control design include the use of a real time operating system for main process control, dynamic power management, a distributed control architecture and subsystem modularity. The chosen approach will allow future modifications and improvements to be incorporated at the subsystem level with minimal impact to the unit overall. Hardware fault tolerance and redundancy enhance system reliability.