Project EVE

https://youtu.be/QMyzUjSq3KA

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10xXY2HRCp8ZjmWv10xpmimBNFti6CniL?usp=sharing

Note: It should be noticed that the full document is included in the drive shared in the "Link to Final Project". Next is a structure summary of our research.

Within these 2 days we´ve accomplished a lot of our goals, and what the team thinks is the major one: EVE. Eve’s a modular station with basic dimensions of 84x67x68 cm, the height depends on the amount of cubes that are joined together.

Fig. 1. A 1-module EVE structure

Basic units:

The first factor that was taken into consideration was the space that the device occupies. Our solution was to design a basic easy-to-build modulated design which consists of a cube with rail attachment mechanisms on its edges used to build more EVE modules upon it; these EVE modules possess ridges in their inferior edges that allow them to slide on top of the previous construction block, i.e. the EVE or the cover underneath it.

Fig. 2. EVE’s primary building block

Each EVE has two interior rails which hold the trays that will contain the seeds (this system will be explained further, later in this document), based on which seeds the crew chooses to plant they can judge whether their crops will need to take more than one EVE’s worth of space, that is to say, each EVE’s stackable so that you can gain vertical height which allows the crew to grow bigger crops. Whenever the tray assigned for a crop is fully sowed (i.e. the crew decides to plant strawberries inside of an EVE for a bountiful harvest in a couple of month is time) whoever is in charge of said crop has a choice to make, either they choose to 1) Use an “End-cover” (see figure 4) to fully isolate EVE’s system, or 2) Use a “Semi-cover” (see figure 3) to act as a separator between crops and build onto that same EVE structure, both covers have a light system attached underneath them, so every EVE module has its own lights. These 2 covers can also be differentiated because the Semi-covers have a gap in them to let the gases move through the whole EVE structure.

Fig. 3. Semi-cover

Fig. 4. End-cover

Another important aspect that is related to each EVE is the way water is supplied. Each block contains two openings where couplers sit, these couplers attach on the inside of the EVE to the seed’s tray, and on the outside to the T-Tubes (See figure 8). This design allows water to flow into the trays from one opening and out from the trays from the second opening through the use of one-way valves.

Seed containers:

The way plants grow in our system is one of the major factors implied in the Have seeds will travel challenge, the general observation for this is that whichever soil is used within the system must meet 2 basic requirements: 1) It must be enough for every sow, and 2) It must be reusable or it must not take up a lot of room inside the Mars Transit Vehicle (MTV). Eve not only minimizes the amount of “soil” needed, it also does not rely on gravity and it is developed on a very efficient design when it comes to space inside the MTV.

Fig. 5. Seed container.

The system consists of a tray that is divided in 8 units (these are the ones that hold the seeds), an up-close image is shown on figure 6.

Fig. 6. Conceptual idea of the water absorbing system

The unit is divided in 2 parts, the upper part (refer to fig. 7.) has a floor with a spiral-like wick that is distributed in almost the whole inner-surface, the other is a water tank that is shared among all of the 8 units. The wick goes through a small hole that allows it to get in contact with the water, because of capillarity the wick will conduct the water to the upper section. The seed would be “attached” to the surface by some kind of soft rack (read, a mesh) which would help the roots settle later on.

Fig. 7. Upper seed container

The surface that is in contact with water needs to be made from or coated with a hydrophobic material, so that the water flow is more efficient and less likely to end up going through the wick’s hole. An important asset that the seed’s container has is a couple of openings that match with the ones that are in the inner surface of the EVE structure, both valves can be connected very easily through the use of a push-in coupler, all that is needed is some pressure for them to get attached. With this design there is no major problem when it comes to connecting the seed’s container into the water supply, whenever it is being pushed through the cube’s tray-holder, you would just need to push it all the way in until you hear or feel a “click”.

Control unit:

There needs to be a sort of base unit that specializes in managing all the electronic components needed for the system to work (Refer to table 7.), the design for this unit is not overly complicated, it is a simple EVE, however, the inside is sealed on the bottom and it holds the necessary electronic components. The following components are included (not exclusively) in the system:

• An Arduino
• Wires
• Electronic, arduino controlled valves for the inlet and outlet of both gases and water (these are connected to the spacecraft supply system)
• A water pump

Water delivering system:

It is important to change the water for every seed container every 2-3 weeks, that is the commonly acknowledged time-period that most plants take to absorb nutrients from the water, changing the water minimizes the risks of pathogens unleashing infections among the plants, even though, this is a very unlikely situation due to the thorough decontamination process that the seeds are taken to before being sent along on the mission, as well as the fact that most of the dangerous agents that can spread diseases while using hydroponics are less likely to survive long periods in the human body or other “transmission routes” available in spacecrafts or the MTV in this case.

We thought about the usage of T-Tubes and extensions made of polyethylene that can be connected together to make the water system as long (or short) as needed. Independently of how long this “lego-like” system would be in particular cases, it will always begin with 2 water pumps that are located in the control unit, one sends water to every seed container, and the other extracts it (this water would then be recycled by the spacecraft).

Fig. 8. Modular T-Tubes

Fig. 9. Final render of the preliminary design concept

What benefits does it have? 

Plant reproduction in weightless environments represents a major challenge for any research team, given that, by their nature, plants show different deficiencies when they are in environments with different environmental factors. 

Among the recent projects carried out to provide solutions for the production of space plants, “Veggie” stands out. “Veggie” and Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) that is about the size of a carry-on piece of luggage and typically holds six plants and each plant grows in a “pillow” filled with a clay-based growth media and fertilizer (Heiney, 2021). However, in Veggie, there are certain characteristics that make it unsustainable in the long term as a food source for the crew members of a mission, mainly because the clay-based pillows used for plant growth are carefully assembled on the ground and shipped to the ISS in packages, therefore, if the mission is prolonged for longer than the resupply capacity the project will fail.

In order to solve this important problem, Project EVE proposes the use of a tray system with 8 planting subsections, with two specialized separations, where one of them has 20 cm of rope positioned on a metallic mesh that allows the support of both the seed and the coil of rope that will act as a substrate for the growth and development of the seed, in this way, solves an important shortcoming of the previous APH of providing water to the plant efficiently and practically. In addition, the subsections of the seed tray are removable in their entirety, which allows an adequate cleaning of the mechanism, which directly prevents the propagation of pathogens associated with the roots and the growth of the plant body itself.

What are we trying to achieve with this project? and what do we need to achieve it?

The main goal of Project Eve is to provide an efficient food production solution for future interplanetary missions, including the important trip to Mars planned by NASA, allowing the astronaut crew to focus their energies on researching the phenomena of the planet to be visited (and other errands related to the trip itself) and to invest as little time as possible in providing maintenance and attention to the source that generates the food necessary to carry out these activities on the celestial bodies to be discovered. 

From the challenge resources page, first of all, and as a way to get introduced to the topic, the challenge video widened our perspective about the problem we faced. Before having seen deeply the potential considerations, the way Ralph emphasized the matter of the lack of space made us think of it for a while, and it was our very early starting point.

Then we started to address our learning on related studies done so far so that we focused mainly on Veggie and APH, and we searched about EDEN ISS as well. Obviously, we had to make more research, but the documents provided by NASA were very helpful as they gave us a first look and provided many links to other pages.

Finally, the pdfs on Veggie and APH, as well as their info links, inspired us a lot to think of an innovative model. We learned from the improvements mentioned for each Veggie Crop Experiment in order to take them into account; the sophisticated APH with its multiple functions caused we had to analyze environmental variables deeply; and the irrigation methods both of the systems showed let us know that there are several more, and that the differences between them are fundamental when defining the most suitable for space.

It has to be noticed that we actually used way more sources, which are in the Bibliography section in the project paper (which is in the drive which link was shared for the "Link to Final Project" part, as well as in "References" below).

Have Seeds Will Travel! | NASA Space Apps Challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM3uaR0dltQ&list=PL37Yhb2zout05pUjr7OoRFpTNroq_wd9f&index=9

Growing Plants in Space: https://www.nasa.gov/content/growing-plants-in-space

Veggie: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/veggie_fact_sheet_508.pdf

Advanced Plant Habitat: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/advanced-plant-habitat.pdf

We describe the experience as a challenging and fulfilling weekend. It was nice to dedicate nearly 40 h to research space crops and apply the acquired knowledge with an innovative and creative focus.

We learned a lot! Each of us, as a team, addressed different problems to keep quickness, so all of us picked up about different yet related topics. W

We set out to select this challenge because we all share a common interest in space travel and think it is very important to solve the food-in-space problem prior to future human missions to Mars. Furthermore, we liked the way we could divide the load into a science and an engineering/structures section so that each of us would be able to study something of its own particular interest. Last but not least, we feel encouraged that this way we can contribute with a little seed at least by giving general innovations that other professionals can take to improve!

We led our project toward a functional model and a reasonable selection of crop plants. We concentrated our efforts on making a viable system that works both for partial gravity (Mars) and microgravity (space travel), as well as one that faces the irrigation problem in space, for which we had to study intensely.

We had a lot of setbacks and difficulties on the way. For resolving them we first tried to research by ourselves, but if it didn't work efficiently we recurred to the local mentors and the challenge global chat.

We were really pleased to have some great advisors during the challenge. Not in a particular order, we want to thank the local coordinators Leandro Camacho and Ricardo Quesada, as well as the local mentor Ana Cristina Vasquez, Kevin Sánchez, Norberto Arce, and Vivian Jiménez, and the mentors in the Have seed will travel global chat, who were disposed to answer patiently all the questions and the information we requested.

Bolda, M., Bottoms, T. & Hartz, T. (2012). Niveles de Suficiencia de Fresa Evaluado Nuevamente. University Of California. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=6996 

Carillo, P., Morrone, B., Fusco, G.M., De Pascale, S. & Rouphael, Y. (2020). Challenges for a Sustainable Food Production System on Board of the International Space Station: A Technical Review. Agronomy. 10(5), 687. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050687 

Craftech Industries, INC. (2013). Grades of Nylon. craftechind. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from http://www.craftechind.com/app/uploads/nylon_final.pdf 

Díaz Méndez, H., A. (2013). Producción Orgánica Y Calidad Nutracéutica De Frutos De Pepino (Cucumis Sativus L.) Bajo Condiciones Protegidas. Universidad Autónoma Agraria. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from http://repositorio.uaaan.mx:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/7389/HECTOR%20ARMANDO%20DIAZ%20MENDEZ.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 

Fundación Española de la Nutrición. (n.d.). Frutas. FEN. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://www.fen.org.es/storage/app/media/flipbook/mercado-alimentos-fen/008-Frutas.pdf 

Fundación Española de la Nutrición. (n.d.). Verduras y hortalizas. FEN. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://www.fen.org.es/storage/app/media/flipbook/mercado-alimentos-fen/006-Verduras-Hortalizas.pdf 

Goites, E., D. (2016). ¿Cómo cultivar Pimiento Morrón? El Brote Urbano. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.elbroteurbano.com/como-cultivar-pimiento-morron/ 

Haifa Negev Technologies LTD. (2014). Recomendaciones nutricionales para tomate en campo abierto, acolchado o túnel invernadero. haifa group. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://www.haifa-group.com/sites/default/files/crop/Tomate_2014_1.pdf 

Heiney, A. (2021, 12 July). Growing Plants in Space. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://www.nasa.gov/content/growing-plants-in-space

Hydro Environment. (n.d.). Guía: para el cultivo de fresa. hydroenv. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://www.hydroenv.com.mx/catalogo/index.php?main_page=page&id=290  

Hydro Environment. (n.d.). Guía: para el cultivo de pepino. hydroenv. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.hydroenv.com.mx/catalogo/index.php?main_page=page&id=377 

InfoAgro. (2020). El cultivo de la fresa. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.infoagro.com/documentos/el_cultivo_fresa.asp 

Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias. (2013). Producción de Pimiento Morrón de Casa-Malla para el sur de Tamaulipas. Inifapcirne. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from http://www.inifapcirne.gob.mx/Biblioteca/Publicaciones/942.pdf 

International Space Station. (2020). EDEN ISS Ground Demonstration of Plant Cultivation Technologies for Safe Food Production in Space. EDEN ISS. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://eden-iss.net/wp-content/uploads/EDEN-ISS-Complete-Brochure_ONLINE_small.pdf

Imhof, B., Hogle, M., Hoheneder, W., Waclavicek, R., Davenport, B., Schubert, D., ... & Rossetti, V. (2019). Greenhouse design concepts for Moon and Mars. https://elib.dlr.de/132078/1/IAC%202019%20EDEN%20ISS%20exploration_v2%20sm_FINAL.pdf

L., M. J. (2012). Como Cultivar Lechuga. El Huerto de Urbano. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from http://www.huertodeurbano.com/como-cultivar/lechuga/ 

Maiwald, V., Vrakking, V., Zabel, P. et al. (2021). From ice to space: a greenhouse design for Moon or Mars based on a prototype deployed in Antarctica. CEAS Space J 13, 17–37. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-020-00318-4 

Medina Jimenez, F. (2017). Necesidades nutricionales y de riego de la lechuga. Revista Agropecuaria. 22. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from http://anuariosatlanticos.casadecolon.com/index.php/GRANJA/article/view/9945 

Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería. (2017). Agrocadena de fresa. MAG. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from http://www.mag.go.cr/bibliotecavirtual/E70-9555.pdf 

Minjuan Wang, Chen Dong, Wanlin Gao. (2019). Evaluation of the growth, photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant capacity, biomass yield and quality of tomato using aeroponics, hydroponics and porous tube-vermiculite systems in bio-regenerative life support systems. Life Sciences in Space Research. 22, 68-75. ISSN 2214-5524. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lssr.2019.07.008 

Morrow, R., Richter, R., Tellez, G., Monje, O., Wheeler, R., Massa, G., ... & Onate, B. (2016, July). A new plant habitat facility for the ISS. 46th International Conference on Environmental Systems. https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/bitstream/handle/2346/67664/ICES_2016_320.pdf?sequence=1

Monje, O., Richards, J. T., Carver, J. A., Dimapilis, D. I., Levine, H. G., Dufour, N. F., & Onate, B. G. (2020). Hardware Validation of the Advanced Plant Habitat on ISS: Canopy Photosynthesis in Reduced Gravity. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11, 673.

NASA. (2021). Have Seeds Will Travel! | NASA Space Apps Challenge [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://youtu.be/lM3uaR0dltQ 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2017). Advanced Plant Habitat. NASAfacts. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/advanced-plant-habitat.pdf 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2020). Veggie. NASAfacts. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/veggie_fact_sheet_508.pdf 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2021). Growing Plants in Space. NASA. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.nasa.gov/content/growing-plants-in-space 

Rojas, U. (n.d.). Agricultura bajo techo reduce consumo de agua a la mitad. CATIE. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.catie.ac.cr/nicaragua/es/81-agricultura-bajo-techo-reduce-consumo-de-agua-a-la-mitad.html 

Sánchez del Castillo, F., Moreno-Pérez, E., C., Reséndiz-Melgar, R., Colinas-León, M., T. & Rodríguez Pérez, E. (2017). Bell Pepper Production (Capsicum Annuum L.) In Short Cycles. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo. Scielo. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from http://www.scielo.org.mx/pdf/agro/v51n4/1405-3195-agro-51-04-00437-en.pdf 

Sandí Mendoza, C., G. (2016). Crecimiento, Producción Y Absorción Nutricional Del Cultivo De Pepino (Cucumis Sativus L.) Con Dos Soluciones Nutritivas En Ambiente Protegido En La Zona De San Carlos, Costa Rica. Tecnológico de Costa Rica. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://repositoriotec.tec.ac.cr/bitstream/handle/2238/9837/crecimiento_producci%C3%B3n_absorci%C3%B3n_cultivo_pepino_%28cucumis%20sativus%20l.%29_con_dos_soluciones_nutritivas_ambiente_protegido_zona_san%20carlos_costa%20rica.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 

Sembralia. (2020). Tomate en invernadero ¿Cuáles son los factores agronómicos clave de clima y suelo? Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://sembralia.com/tomate-en-invernadero/ 

Yara Costa Rica SRL. (2018). Resumen nutricional del tomate. YARA. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://www.yara.cr/nutricion-vegetal/tomate/resumen-nutricional-del-tomate/ 

Zabel, P., Bamsey, M., Schubert, D. & Tajmar, M. (2016). Review and analysis of over 40 years of space plant growth systems. Life Sciences in Space Research. 10, 1-16. ISSN 2214-5524. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lssr.2016.06.004

#seeds, #crops, #spaceTravel, #Mars, #hydroponics, #modularSystem, #3D

This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.