Twin Paradox

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-El7nCJRprWKZW8DmaBNQGl6NbZuXhbvWMm1hQv3mBk/edit#slide=id.gf597322ac5_0_46107

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UuJ6-LTPXDf6KVntoPD9rJTjl0x86bB9XTk91mJmDK4/edit#

What exactly does it do? 

The LRS-19 prototype aims to develop a space greenhouse that has the ability to be installed on the Martian soil through a dome or dome of tensegrity structure, which is simple to assemble and requires lightweight materials (polyetherimide / polycarbonate - PEI), this will have a water harvesting system called "weck system", This system will have a pyramidal shape that reflects the altitudinal floors of Peru, for the use of space, such system can be installed on the spacecraft as on the Martian surface, it will also have lighting systems and temperature sensor for monitoring the crew.

How does it work? 

The control system is located in the front part (15 x 10 cm) of the LRS-19 prototype, where the temperature is controlled between the intervals of 15°C for 16 hours and 25°C, in a time of 8 hours, reflecting the ideal and real conditions to which the seeds are subjected. The opening of the water distribution tubes will also be controlled, the white tubes will be for the entry of clean water and the red tubes for the exit of the water already used, and the cycle is repeated. In the central circular tubes is where the "Weck System" is used, on the surface of the first, second and third level, they have a number of holes of 5, 9 and 13 respectively, allowing the entry of the red LED light, which is suitable in circumstances of microgravity. Likewise, the seeds rest on a kind of "rock wool" material sponge inside an inverted conical structure, which in the lower part has a kind of wicks that by capillary effect will take the water, which will be absorbed by the rock wool. 

What are the benefits? 

The benefits of the "LRS-19" prototype can be defined in three parts: 

• Structural Benefits: The material used for the construction of the prototype is bioplastic (polyetherimide/ polycarbonate - PEI) which is a biodegradable material, 100% vegetable, 0% petroleum, this ecological raw material also constitutes a formidable opportunity to raise awareness of environmental issues.... It will also allow astronauts to build things in real time to meet the user's needs and build the prototype in a fast, fully deployable and assemblable way. The biggest difference in space is that we don't have the benefit of gravity to help us put things where we want to put them, so we have to rely on other forces to deposit the material.

• Biological Benefits: Crop growth can be better controlled, so the possibility of fungi, weeds or pests is much lower than in traditional crops. Only the necessary fertilizers are used, with no major waste. A bioplastic printed on the ISS will be used for fruit ripening, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is a more flexible and food-safe plastic. This promotes some metabolic changes in the storage organs of the fruit, because the polyethylene used acts as a filter to radiation, which affects physiological processes through its properties of intensity, spectral quality and duration.

• Population Benefits: The real reason for growing food in space is in preparation for very long space missions, such as a trip to Mars, which would require crew members to be away from Earth for two to three years. The six astronauts currently living on the International Space Station (ISS) have become the first people to eat food harvested in space. However, fresh food is not very common in the daily diet of astronauts, so the "LRS-19" prototype would facilitate consumption and not simply as an experiment used to define what properties space factors generate in the growth of these plants and return them to Earth for further study, but to serve as consumption on the station and in the long term in a prototype that can be used on Mars for production in a long station and in extended times.

What do you expect to achieve?

• A proper selection of seeds, taking into account the imbibition time, this process refers to the first stage of germination that involves the entry of water from the external environment. Thus, as pea seeds (Pisum sativum) imbibe during the first three hours, while in celery (Apium graveolens) the entry of water is completed in about 30 minutes. Also take into account the process of hydration and dehydration, and this cycle can be repeated several times; it does not adversely affect the seeds. This type of response has been used to obtain seeds of cereals, legumes and vegetables that have a faster and more homogeneous germination, it is possible that this mechanism of hydration-dehydration allows them to be more resistant to droughts.

• That the LRS-19 is able to maintain adequate conditions for the protection and development of the seeds, such as: 

-Available water  Since it is one of the factors that determines the speed of germination, if the seed is subjected to a water deficit germination will take much longer, likewise these circumstances make the seeds more prone to fungal infections. An excess of water can also be unfavorable, since it hinders the arrival of oxygen to the embryo, hence the explanation that many species form a layer of mucilage that hinders the entry of sufficient oxygen to initiate germination.

-Temperature: directly affects the daily germination rate It directly affects the daily germination rate, the rate of water absorption, the speed of catalytic reactions and the transport of reserve substances inside the seeds. It should be noted that the oxygen taken up by the seeds is dissolved in the water, which, due to the high temperatures, can reduce the solubility of the oxygen, making it difficult for it to enter and thus hinder germination. It has been verified that under standard laboratory conditions it is not the constant temperatures that usually determine greater germination, but the alternating temperatures, for example 15 °C (16 hours) and 25 °C (8 hours), since they simulate the real conditions to which the seeds are subjected. 

-Lighting

It will depend on the photosensitivity of the seeds:

(a) Seeds with positive photosensitivity. They germinate preferably under illumination.

b) Seeds with negative photosensitivity. These are seeds that germinate preferably in darkness, while illumination inhibits their germination.

c) Non photosensitive seeds. They are seeds that germinate independently of the illumination conditions.

• That the crew feels as close as possible to home, that it is attractive and fun, to see the wonderful process of germination, and that they have the same feeling as when we were children, we were given a seed to take care of it and that it develops, and wait anxiously for its first sprout, and protect it as if it were part of us. In addition, this project seeks to be eye-catching, and thus encourage other people to join in generating new proposals to bear fruit outside the home.

What tools, coding languages, hardware or software have you used to develop your project?

The following tools were needed to develop the project:

• For the problem perspective: resources provided by the "Space Apps Challenge" were used, which provided information from the ISS collected by NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration), as well as from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

• For the development of the prototype: AutoCAD-2019, a software that facilitated the design and drawing of the prototype. 

• For the development of the system and selection of the seeds: It was necessary to use academic search engines, as well as the analysis of the literature provided by the web, which are exposed to the public.

Reading the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) resources on advances in prototype facilities for seed and plant development and growth has given us a broader view of how microgravity plays an important role in the behavior of seeds in the germination process. As we know on Earth leaves grow upwards and roots grow downwards, and that depends on gravity, and in situations away from home the roots have a different pattern, i.e. they bend and move in different directions. But that does not end there, what has impressed us most, is that some genes can be altered by the absence of gravity, affecting the immune system of plants, because their cells become more susceptible, spoiling the DNA sequence and their mitochondria, or may be altering other structures that are not yet known. This is one of the main challenges for our LRS-19 prototype. 

How would you describe your experience with Space Apps? What have you learned? 

As a complete experience, where you have to give all of yourself and be very participative, give your ideas without fear that "they are wrong", because you can not choose in its entirety, but part of it can be useful for the development of the project. What we have learned is to work as a team, to see the potential that each one has and to support each other. As Biology students we learned a little more about the behavior and development of a plant from the time it is a seed, and how Biology and Astrophysics articulate very well, and in the future these two disciplines may hit the "nail on the head" for the existence of life on Mars, a "science fiction" idea. 

What was your approach to develop your project? 

The approach was to build a prototype that has a tensegritic copula, a structure that is different from the prototypes that exist today, in addition to being able to monitor the factors that intervene in germination as mentioned above; available water, lighting and temperature. 

How did your team solve the setbacks and challenges? 

First we asked ourselves what points we should take for the development of the "Seeds Stars" project, consulting other sources that are related to our ideas and with the resources that Space Apps provided us. There was a moment where we discussed what we had read in different bibliographic sources and what each member should do, taking into account their potential. 

Is there anyone you would like to thank and why?

Lourdes del Milagro Zuñe Flores: Thank you for giving us this opportunity, which has allowed us to know the potential we have, and to know that science is still looking for ways to improve the quality of life of people here on earth and in space. In addition, I would like to say that you can include a Challenge that has as a challenge, how to make children and young people feel motivated to learn about the physiology, behavior and development of plants, the more people are familiar with this knowledge, the more ideas that can arise to take seeds to space will be greater and viable. 

Braskem (2017). Braskem y Made In Space expanden alianza para reciclaje de plástico en la Estación Espacial Internacional. [En Línea].Retrieved from : https://www.braskem.com.br/detalhe-noticia-es/braskem-y-made-in-space-expanden-alianza-para-reciclaje-de-plastico-en-la-estacion-espacial-internacional

Cayon D., Morales H. Giraldo G. (2003). Efecto del color de las bolsas de polietileno sobre el desarrollo de los frutos y la concentración de carbohidratos en el clon del plátano dominico-hartón (musa aab simmonds). Revista de la Facultad de química farmacéutica, 10(1), p.9-17.  https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/1698/169818031002.pdf

Gil Imma  (16 de mayo del 2013). ¿Cómo crecen las plantas en el espacio? BBC. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2013/05/130516_plantas_nasa_crecimiento_ig

Gouverment of Canada (2021).Naurvik project in Nunavut. Recovered from: https://asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/sciences/food-production/naurvik-project-in-nunavut.asp

Mexpolimeros (2020). Polieterimida (PEI). [En Línea].Retrieved from https://www.mexpolimeros.com/pei.html

Pita Villamil, J M y Pérez García,  F (1998). Hojas divulgadoras N° 2090,Germinación de semillas. Ministerio de agricultura, pesca y alimentación. https://www.mapa.gob.es/ministerio/pags/biblioteca/hojas/hd_1998_2090.pdf

Sissi C.(2020). How 3D Printing in Space Will Help Put a Million People on Mars. Observer.com [En Línea].Retrieved from: https://observer.com/2020/10/3d-printing-international-space-station-made-in-space-interview/ 

#Biology #NASA #SpaceApps #SeedsStars #LRS-19 #Lima #Perú

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