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The Biomass Production System, recently flown on the ISS for 73 days, demonstrated significant advancements in functional performance over previous systems for conducting plant science in microgravity. The Biomass Production System (BPS) was the first flight of a system with multiple, independently controlled, plant growth chambers. Each of four chambers was controlled separately with respect to temperature, humidity, light level, nutrient level, and CO2, and all were housed in a double Middeck locker-sized payload. During the mission, each of the subsystems performed within specification. This paper focuses on how the performance of the BPS hardware allowed successful completion of the preflight objectives.

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 Biomass Production System (BPS) is a double middeck locker payload designed to fly on the Orbiter or Space Station. The BPS contains four plant growth chambers (PGCs) with independent control of temperature, humidity, lighting, CO2, and nutrient solution delivery, allowing for multiple experimental treatments. The BPS provides several features to support on-orbit science activities including the ability to downlink system and science data, video cameras with framegrab capability to collect images for recording plant development, access to plants to perform activities such as pollination or tissue sampling, and gas and fluid sampling ports for sampling of the plant environment. Other capabilities include the ability to conduct CO2 drawdowns, allowing photosynthetic measurements, and the ability to meter plant CO2 and water use. Several technology developments have been evaluated for possible implementation during future upgrades to enhance science capabilities.

The Plant Research Unit development effort will provide a high-performance and highly versatile, controlled environment plant growth chamber for space-based variable gravity science and biotechnology investigations on the International Space Station. Temperature, humidity, atmospheric composition, lighting, and nutrient delivery are the critical parameters to control in an automated and reliable way. Access to plant material on-orbit and maintenance of the unit with minimal crew effort are other major requirements, as is a modular design allowing easy subsystem/technology change-outs so that science capability and maintainability are maximized. The Plant Research Unit (PRU) development program is based on the results of the Biomass Production System (BPS) and many other technical developments, and uses the BPS as a risk mitigation prototype for the PRU.

The objective of the Fluid Handling and Maintenance Experiment (FHAME) is to research, test, and demonstrate liquid/gas phase control in fluid handling subsystems in microgravity. FHAME is currently being developed as a risk mitigation experiment for the upcoming verification and science investigations in plant growth systems, especially the Biomass Production System (BPS) and the Plant Research Unit (PRU). Because FHAME contains controlled fluid handling systems, a large suite of sensors, data acquisition, and visual observation capability, it is well suited for empirical research and testing of movement and to assessing the liquid/gas characteristics for a wide variety of applications. Its first application is to assess fluid priming and gas/liquid characteristics in a particulate bed. FHAME can play a major role in the development of future new nutrient delivery systems for plant growth application in addition to many fluid and gas/liquid empirical research investigations.

This paper summarizes the commercialization approach being used by Orbital Technologies Corporation and Planet Products Corporation. The approach begins with an overall strategy and is integral through several business, technology, and development decisions. Several stages exist in the development process, which begins with key go/no-go criteria and continues with more detailed assessment and analysis of technologies, markets, finance, and business/product models. The SBIR program and other seed funding opportunities are integral to individual product commercialization plans. ORBITEC has a very diverse technology heritage including environmental controls systems, combustion and materials, sensors/instrumentation, and advanced software systems. The commercialization approach is used to spin-off internally developed technologies as well as technologies from outside ORBITEC.

The Biomass Production System (BPS) was developed to meet science, biotechnology and commercial plant growth needs in Space. The BPS is a double middeck locker equivalent payload with four internal plant chambers. The chambers can be removed to allow manipulation or sampling of specimens, and are sealed to allow CO2 and water vapor exchange measurements. Each of the growth chambers has independent control of temperature, humidity, lighting, and carbon dioxide levels. Preliminary acceptance and performance testing has demonstrated temperature control within ±1.0°C (between 20°C and 30°C) and humidity control within ±5% (between 60% and 90% RH, depending on ambient temperature and plant load). The fluorescent lighting system provides light levels between 60 and 350 μmol m−2s−1. The CO2 control system controls to the greater of ±50 ppm or ±5% (with plants, as a scrubber is not currently available).