"SVET” BIOTECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEM, CONTROLLING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR GROWING HIGHER PLANTS IN WEIGHTLESSNESS
- Paper ID
IAF-92-0282
- author
- company
Space Research Institute Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,
- country
Bulgaria
- year
1992
- abstract
In the Space Research Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences had been constructed an automatical system, controlling the environmental conditions in a Plants Growth Unit in weightlessness. Apparatuses made by us for carrying out onboard experiments as well as for ground-based work (laboratory models, mounted in special test chambers) are described. The scientific aim of the Research Programme is the creation of a small dimension space greenhouse, named "SVET" with about 0,1 square meter vegetation area only for testing the technical and technological solutions, ensuring the conditions necessary for the normal growth of the higher plants in the conditions of microgravity. The design of a biotechnological system for space greenhouse is extremely sophisticated because of the extreme factors of the space flight requiring special methods for measurement and biological processes control. The complex of sensors, electronics, light, ventilation, hydroaero- system and mechanics under the automatic control of specialized microcomputer ensured the complete germination of the sowed seeds of the different kinds of plants, their intensive growth and the crop onboard "MIR" space station.