Preparation for the Proof of Concept Flight of the Veggie Plant Growth Chamber Bryan Onate Gioia Massa John “J.C.” Carver 1

Veggie Attributes Small Vegetable Production System – 0.17 m 2 growing area Compact stowage, low launch mass Low energy usage –lights and fans Minimal crew time Separate components allow for reuse or replacement Goals: Research toward Food Production, Crew Recreation, Education and Outreach 2

Cargo Transfer Bag (CTB) Veggie unit Express Rack Veggie Concept An easily stowable, simple, low resource plant growth system capable of supporting plant growth for improving crew habitability. Stows in small volume, but provides large growth volume 3 Images courtesy of ORBITEC

Image courtesy of Felix Joe LED Light Cap Transparent Bellows Root Mat Reservoir Designed and built by Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) Veggie 4 EXPRESS Rack Mounting Plate Flexible Support Arms

5 Imagecourtesy of Felix Joe Designed and built by Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC)

Rooting Pillow Concept Different sizes for variety of plant types (1, 2, 3, 6) Media and fertilizer containment Plant seeds dry, in 1 g – Low launch mass Hydrate on orbit No energy required – Passive wicking from reservoir Minimal crew time Designed for single use – Dispose after harvest Reduces sanitation requirements 6 Prototype flight pillow courtesy of ORBITEC

7 Root Mat Assembly Enclosure Cover Plant Pillows Reservoir Enclosure Exploded view Schematic courtesy of ORBITEC

Examples of crops tested in pillows Red lettuce Swiss chard Radish Dwarf Chinese cabbage Snow pea 8

Initial Selection Factors Rapid growth Reliable germination Low microbial levels Palatability / acceptability Attractiveness Antioxidants 9 ‘Outredgeous’ red leaf lettuce

VEG-01 Hardware Verification Test - Goals Demonstrate hardware function on ISS Test procedures for Veggie operation Demonstrate plant pillow concept Compare two media combinations for root and plant growth Look at microbial growth on plants, in pillows, and on surfaces – Food safety Assess plant productivity and health Generate data for future Veggie researchers 10

VEG-01 Hardware Verification Test - Setup Six pillows Two media types – arcillite of <1mm and arcillite 1:1 <1mm:1-2mm Lettuce – Lactuca sativa cv. ‘Outredgeous’ Water – crew potable water Tool set Sample return: eight swabs, all plants, two pillows, water 11

Planned Crew Operations Activation – Veggie installation and programming – Reservoir filling – Pillow priming Daily checks and refilling water periodically Wick separation Plant thinning Harvesting and sampling Hardware sanitizing 12

Microbiology Species selection – Low microbial levels Pre-flight sanitation – Seed sanitizing – Media and materials In flight procedures to minimize contamination Sample Return: swabs, plants, pillows, water – Heterotrophic Plate Counts – Yeast and Mold – Specific Screens: E. coli and coliforms, S. aureus, Pseudomonas, Salmonella – Isolate and ID microbes from plates 13

VEG-01 – Additional Aspects Planned launch on SpaceX-3 – sample return on SpaceX-4 Additional sample processing: plant mass, ATP levels, nutrient analysis, root distribution Temperature and RH monitored via data logger Additional pillow sets for crew use: – Set 2: Ornamental plants- Zinnia – Set 3: Lettuce for consumption pending microbiology and approval Edible produce sanitizing for microgravity – Collaboration with Microcide, Inc. 14

Veg-01 Payload Flow Preflight lab prep Late Stow L-3 days Launch SpX-3 DOCKDOCK VEGGIE 2 days 3 days 21 days MELFI ~ 4 days 12/4 (L-5) 12/6 (L-3) 12/912/12 (FD-3) 1/13 (FD35) SpX-4 Micro Sample 8 swabs Harvest + 2 pillows + H2O Sample -80 o C ThinThin 7 days ~30 days 12/16 (FD7) 12/23 (FD14)

Many Thanks! Robert Morrow Robert Morrow Mary Hummerick Mary Hummerick Gerard Newsham Gerard Newsham Raymond Wheeler Raymond Wheeler Monica Soler Stacy Engle Michele Koralewicz Gary Stutte LaShelle McCoy Janicce Caro Anthony Nguyen & Cedric Flemming Veggie Team Alexis Hongamen Robert Richter Ross Remiker Howard Levine Dave Reed JSC: Food, Microbiology, Space Medicine Microcide, Inc. NASA HQ 16 Funding: NASA ISS-R