Semi-closed Lettuce Cultivation and Crop Environment Simulation for EDEN ISS

Abstract

Closed environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) play an ever-growing need in both human space missions and on Earth. An ECLSS is a closed system in which temperature, gas exchange, pressure, humidity, lighting and fluids are regulated to artificially create a closed system simulating a desired environment. Examples, where life support systems are required, are the International Space Station and future space colonies. Demand on Earth for life support systems is rising with increasing population and rising population density within the largest cities . New technologies must be developed to cope with the food demand. Strategies such as vertical farming (VF), the concept of growing multiple layers of crops in a skyscraper on each floor, may be a solution on supplying large cities with fresh crops as an 18-story tower can supply a small city of 50.000 people.