High-Level Project Summary
Our solution is to make a cabin consist of 3 parts above each other’s. The lower part will contain air cylinder connected to the middle part and have sensors to fill the middle part with air automatically when air percentage is decrease and there is a door below the tank to change the air tank through it. The middle part will contain the soil, a light bulb centered vertically to the soil, o2 analyzer to monitor oxygen percentage in the air and air conditioner or something control the temperature of the chamber. The upper part will contain water tank connected to the soil with pipes have sensors to open it twice a week to irrigate the plant, and also there is a door to fill the tank.
Link to Project "Demo"
Link to Final Project
Detailed Project Description
The problem of food during space flights is very big, so we have to think of a solution to it. After doing some research to arrive at a solution or an idea, we were able to separate chapters for an idea.
The Materials
1- Seeds of lettuce
2- Soil
3- Temperature controller
4- Water tank
5- Pipes
6- Light source (bulb)
7- Air tank
8- O2 Analyzer
These materials will be used for the project. our solution is to make a cabin consist of 3 parts above each other. The lower part will contain an air cylinder connected to the middle part and have sensors to fill the middle part with air automatically when air percentage decreases and a door below the tank to change the air tank through it. The middle part will contain the soil, a light bulb centered vertically to the soil, and an o2 analyzer to monitor oxygen percentage in the air and air conditioner, or something to control the temperature of the cabin because lettuce ideal germination and growing temperature are between 60 and 65 F (16 to 18 C). The upper part will contain a water tank connected to the soil with pipes that have sensors to open it twice a week to irrigate the plant, and a door to fill the tank through it.
The idea of our solution is that the soil will use the oxygen in the air, the light from the light bulb, and the water to grow the lettuce. After a week the lettuce leaves will start to grow so they can use the co2 in the air to make the photosynthesis process.
The project's first benefit is to provide food that helps astronauts to feed during long space flights, and it may also help in providing them with oxygen. The lettuce plant was chosen because it contains very useful nutrients for astronauts. The lettuce plant grows quickly, does not take long, and contains many benefits. Lettuce is rich in vitamin K, which helps prevent the risk of bleeding. Eating lettuce rich in potassium helps to help and promote sleep. Eating lettuce helps prevent insomnia and microbial damage. Lettuce also contains fiber that contributes to maintaining normal cholesterol levels, and the antioxidant vitamins available in lettuce such as vitamin A. So, lettuce will be a very useful vegetable for astronauts.
For the project to be clearer to you, we have made a three-dimensional shape of the project using SketchUp, to be more and more clear. We hope to achieve success in this project and be prepared for use in space flights.
Space Agency Data
https://www.nasa.gov/content/growing-plants-in-space
Why do astronauts need space farming, the Veggie system, its inventors, its characteristics, components, how it works, and some concerns related to it
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/veggie_fact_sheet_508.pdf
More about the veggie system and many details about it and information about the crops that have been grown by it since it was started
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/4H/4H36000.pdf
Lots of information about the plant, the process of photosynthesis, how it grows, and what factors must be present in order to grow in a healthy way. This helped us build our idea
Hackathon Journey
Our journey with SPACE APPS was great and still exciting. We have benefited from our participation in space apps that we learn what a team means, the helping feels with the teammates, determination to succeed, and the world be better. We collect a big experience and it will be more. The willingness to work makes us choose exciting challenges like “Seed can travel”. This challenge gets our attention and makes us excited to start. Plan to the approach that you will follow is very important. Our approach was planned very well and took time to plan. Our approach was that we will simple materials as possible as we can. Simple materials using processes. Materials do not take a big space in the spaceship and the astronauts can move it easily. Use cheap materials. Make all what plant needs available in the same place and by a simple prototype. Make astronauts take advantage of the products from the plant simply. Also, astronaut’s labor-saving with the plant needs to make it works automatically without human intervention. During the work there were a lot of setbacks but, we could hold out and identify the causes of the problem so the problem was solved by thinking and quiet from all the team members. This helps us to make our approach as we plan. We would thank NASA for providing this great opportunity for the world to contribute to the development of space and we thank all those who helped us.
References
Resources
1- https://www.nasa.gov/content/growing-plants-in-space
2- https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/veggie_fact_sh
eet_508.pdf
3- https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/4H/4H36000.pdf
Tools we used to design the project
SketchUp
Tags
#interstellar #planting_space #NASA #Space_Apps
Global Judging
This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.