AstraLand

San Jose, Pura Vida | Have seeds will travel!

AstraLand Mission

High-Level Project Summary

AstraLand strives to provide a feasible aerospace farming solution that allows long-term expeditions to Mars while maintaining astronauts’ physical and mental health. To accomplish this, the existing ISS systems are being harnessed and revamped in order to achieve their optimal performance. After taking into consideration the ARTEMIS program, it was found that the most viable solution is to create an automated parcels system which integrates an oxygen production process through phytoplankton, as well as a waste treatment system by oxidation using microorganisms to develop a suitable environment to grow crops in space.

Link to Project "Demo"

https://uamcrnet-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/sofia_vindas_uamcr_net/ER_cjb86TaJKtAqoS3YVkbUBTsGH-GjyuhO13-qYMi4cKQ?e=YWsq8o

Link to Final Project

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:a4c1c9de-a988-42b2-98f4-60cb010cb545

Detailed Project Description

In order to solve this challenge, we must keep in mind that we have to go through experiments and tests first. We are aligned to the schedule of the Artemis program to test that all systems are in good shape to go to Mars. The goal is to be able to keep astronauts healthy and alive, which is why they need to cover basic needs, food, oxygen, waste management, water and mental health, fortunately our mission solves each of these needs. Using the existing systems within the ISS and its experiments such as Veggie to germinate crops, and all the ECLSS, it was sought to make a union of both systems as they were in the station, with the innovation of beginning to test the production of oxygen through phytoplankton colonies, and to be able to put it inside the spacecraft used for the trip they are going to execute, so at this point we have, crops, oxygen, water and even mental health, since the fact of planting psychologically generates a connection with the earth and gives a positive effect on their minds. Now for waste management, we are going to give more development to liquid combustion and the use of microorganisms to generate electricity and at the same time disappear the waste.This diagram represents the Concept of Operations simplified of the AstraLand Mission.

More information visit: https://astraland21.wixsite.com/my-site

Space Agency Data

A database such as the "Space Food and Nutrition Guide" and some diagrams of the "ISS Galley" were used to obtain information about the astronauts' food, taking in consideration the nutrients that they must have to lead to physical health in space, as nutrition plays a key role in maintaining the optimal health and performance of astronauts, before, during and after spaceflight. Knowing this information allowed us to carry out a project in which to keep astronauts alive in healthy and suitable conditions, as well as the handling of food, knowing that space on the spacecraft is limited and the difficulties of eat in microgravity .

In addition, information on phytoplankton was found at the Earth Observatory which is part of the EOS Project Science Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, where it indicated the types of phytoplankton, the nutrients they need as nitrate, phosphate, silicate and calcium, the importance that these have since they consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen which is important for the mission.

The relevance of the project with the Artemis program was also taken into account, so the use of all NASA resources was beneficial.

An example of a fairly efficient use of data was the ECLSS diagram, which had to be modified / optimized exclusively for the project. The new desing is inside of our abstract.

This figure is the actual NASA´s flow diagram of the ECLSS.

Hackathon Journey

We had never participated in a Space Apps with so many last minute changes, we had to completely rethink the idea and give all the effort to create the idea of this mission. We learned too much about the systems within the International Space Station. This challenge inspired us because it was the one that we thought could give us a lot of knowledge, really everyone in the team was interested. All the obstacles along the way were solved by a few, but we were confident with the information we learned. And about the thanks, the project manager of this project speaks to you, members of AstraLand, and I want you to know that I am very happy to have you in my team, to have you here suffering all at the same time but learning, you guys are all incredible. I am pretty sure that we are going to be out of this planet in the future, they will see us all, touching the universe.

References

NASA Resources

[1] Space Station Research Explorer on NASA.gov. (2013, March). Vegetable Production System Taken from https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=374

[2] Herridge L. (2015, August). Meals Ready to Eat: Expedition 44 Crew Members Sample Leafy Greens Grown on Space Station Taken from https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/meals_ready_to_eat

[3] Lewis R. (2021, May). Space Food Systems. Taken from https://www.nasa.gov/content/space-food-systems

[4] Mohon L. Marshall History (2017, March). ECLSS. Taken from https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/eclss.html

[5] Barry P. (2000, November). Breathing Easy on the Space Station Taken from https://ciencia.nasa.gov/science-at-nasa/2000/ast13nov_

[6] Niles L. (2017, August). SpaceX’s Dragon Headed to Space Station to Create Astronaut Farmers Taken from https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/spacex_third_mission

[7] Loff S. (2016, January). First Flower Grown in Space Station's Veggie Facility Taken from https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=374

[8] National Aeronautics and Space Administration (2020, January). Veggie NASA Facts Taken from https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/veggie_fact_sheet_508.pdf

[9] The Earth Observatory (2010, July). What are Phytoplankton? Taken from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Phytoplankton

[10] Kovo Y. (2017, August). Seedling Growth-1 (SpaceX-2) Taken from https://www.nasa.gov/ames/research/space-biosciences/seedling-growth-1-spacex-2

[11] Herridge L. (2016, April). Veg-03 Plant Pillows Readied at Kennedy Space Center for Trip to Space Station Taken from https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2016/04/08/veg-03-plant-pillows-readied-at-kennedy-space-center-for-trip-to-space-station/

[12] National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)(2011, August) Space Shuttle Drawings and Technical Diagrams Taken from https://history.nasa.gov/diagrams/shuttle.htm

[13] National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)(1999, February). Space Food and Nutrition An Educator’s Guide With Activities in Science and Mathematics Taken from https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/143163main_Space.Food.and.Nutrition.pdf

[14] National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)(2021, May). Space Food Systems. Taken from https://www.nasa.gov/content/space-food-systems