Demonstration test of electrical lighting systems for plant growth in HI-SEAS analog mars habitat

Abstract

Greenhouse modules and regenerative life-support systems are critical for long-duration space missions and future settlements on the Moon and Mars; understanding their mechanisms and issues on Earth in remote areas is a first step towards their space adaptation. To follow up with studies performed in NASA‘s Deep Space Habitat and deployed at NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies test site in 2010 and 2011, and at NASA Johnson Space Center in 2012, three sole-source LED lighting systems – commercial-off-the-shelf “UFO” red and blue LED grow lights, AIBC’s super-slim whiteEx70Dim panels, and Heliospectra multispectral LX60 lamp – were tested during the four-month HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration and Analog Simulation) analog mission. The primary objective of this study was to assess the effects of different wavelengths on lettuce and radish growth in a semi-controlled environment. Crew time required to take care of plants was also assessed. A Biomass Production System for Education (BPSe) unit developed by ORBITEC and modelled after their Deployable Vegetable Production System was placed inside the habitat and available for crew interaction and recreational purposes. Preliminary results regarding psychological benefits of plants in remote areas during long-term isolation are presented.