ROOM
48
Astronautics
T
he idea of using plants to maintain life
support systems in space is not a new one.
Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
first suggested it over one hundred years
ago in his 1911 work,
Exploration of Outer Space by
Rocket Devices
. “Just as the Earth’s atmosphere is
cleaned by plants with the help of the Sun,” he
wrote, “so our artificial atmosphere can be
renewed... the plants we take along with us during
the journey can work uninterruptedly for us.”
Tsiolkovsky understood not only the main
principle of using regenerative systems for deep
space flight but, in his 1926 works Outside the
Earth and Plan for Conquering Interplanetary
Space, he also suggested the construction of a
cylindrical space greenhouse in order to obtain
oxygen, food and clean the air in the capsule. “Man
then achieves greater independence from Earth,
as he is able to procure necessary life support
elements on his own,” he wrote.
Tsiolkovsky had no doubt that if an appropriately
developed plant cultivation method was used,
many varieties of fruit and vegetables would grow
and bear fruit in weightlessness. His greenhouse
project was technologically very advanced and has
lost none of its potential even today.
Whilst today’s space missions in near-Earth orbit use partial water
regeneration and oxygen is replenished by water electrolysis systems, crews
remain reliant on supply ships for timely delivery of food supplies. In the future,
on long-term flights to the Moon or Mars, they will carry plants and crew
members will need ‘green fingers’ to cultivate, tend and harvest crops that will
supplement food stocks. Learning how to grow plants in space now will also
contribute to the development of advanced life-support systems of the future,
from gas exchange and food production to potable water reclamation.
Vladimir N. Sychev,
Laboratory of
Biological Life
Support Systems,
Russian Academy
of Science Institute
of Biomedical
Problems, Moscow
Igor G Podolskiy,
Laboratory of
Biological Life
Support Systems,
Russian Academy
of Science Institute
of Biomedical
Problems, Moscow
Margarita
A.Levinskikh,
Laboratory of
Biological Life
Support Systems,
Russian Academy
of Science Institute
of Biomedical
Problems, Moscow
Growing plants
without gravity
