Search Results

Lada, a plant growth system developed jointly by the Space Dynamics Laboratory and the Institute of Biomedical Problems for long-term deployment on the International Space Station (ISS), was launched on a Progress vehicle in September 2002. Lada, named for the ancient Russian Goddess of Spring, uses design features and technology similar to the Svet greenhouse on the Mir orbital outpost. The Lada checkout experiment produced its first crop (a leafy vegetable — Mizuna [Brassica rapa cv. nipposinica]) during October and November. The crop was shared between the crew and researchers, with about half of the crop being returned on Soyuz. This paper presents checkout experiment results and initial crew-plant interactions.

Liquid and gas exchange within a particulate plant-rooting medium is likely to be altered in a microgravity environment. A difference in gravitational force can result in significant offsets in control parameters developed on earth for optimum plant growth, due to the shift in hydrostatic water distribution. The experiment being developed will examine the effects of variable gravity on water distribution and gas diffusion. We are developing and testing an automated gas diffusion measurement system for use on the International Space Station (ISS). To allow comparison of μg and 1g conditions, gas diffusion cell designs were horizontally oriented to minimize gravitational effects using 1) a ‘thin rectangular profile’ cell and 2) a cylindrical cell design for flight. Electronic solenoid valves provide air and water flow control while pressure transducers measure water and substrate potential.

Lada, named for the ancient Russian Goddess of Spring, is a plant growth system developed jointly by the Space Dynamics Laboratory and the Institute of Biomedical Problems for long-term deployment on the International Space Station. Lada uses design features and technology similar to the Svet greenhouse on the Mir orbital outpost, and will be launched to ISS in June 02. It is scheduled to support its first crop (a leafy vegetable - Mizuna [Brassica rapa var. nipposinica]) in October 02. Lada consists of four major components (a control module, two vegetation modules and a water tank) and is designed to be deployed on a cabin wall. This deployment scheme was chosen to provide the crew therapeutic viewing and easy access to the plants. The two independently controlled vegetation modules allow comparisons between two vegetation or substrate treatments. The vegetation modules consist of three sub-modules, a light bank, the leaf chamber, and a root module.