Conference 7.286::space

820.0. "NASA & EPCOT Center join up pushing biology frontiers" by PRAGMA::GRIFFIN (Dave Griffin) Sat Sep 19 1992 22:17

Mitch Varnes                                       Sept. 18, 1992

KSC Release No. 128-92

     The time when astronauts will be required to grow their  own
foods in space may still be many years away, but a pair of scien-
tists  from  NASA's  Kennedy Space Center and Walt Disney World's
EPCOT Center are already mixing soil,  planting crops and prepar-
ing  for humankind's long-distance voyages of the future.   Their
goal is to see that food is not an  issue  when  astronauts  once
again leave Earth orbit and move on to the moon, Mars or beyond.

     The  arrangement  is an interesting one that involves two of
Central Florida's largest employers dedicating two of their  most
highly  educated  employees to a project in a field where neither
conglomerate  is  best  known.    Chris  Brown,  Ph.D.,  a  plant
physiologist   with   The   Bionetics  Corporation,   and  Andrew
Schuerger, Ph.D., a plant pathologist based at The Land pavillion
at EPCOT Center,  joined forces just over a  year  ago  and  have
since  been  diligently  experimenting with lighting,  plants and
various types of growing environments.

      Working in a laboratory near The Land pavillion,  Brown and
Schuerger have not only devoted their attention to plant develop-
ment  but  also  to  new ways of growing them.   The most unusual
aspect of their research  is  the  artificial  lighting  used  to
nourish  and stimulate the plants.   Rather than relying on tried
and true fluorescent or  high-pressure  sodium  lights,  the  two
scientists  are  instead experimenting with light emitting diodes
(LEDs) -- basically identical to those  that  illuminate  digital
clocks  and watches -- to stimulate their crops.   Even more sig-
nificant is the color of the LEDs and lights:   They're  red  and
blue.

     With  a limited area to grow plants on Space Station Freedom
or inside some yet to be designed spaceship,  Brown and Schuerger
were  forced to exercise a bit of creative foresight in their ap-
proach to the project.  "Sodium or fluorescent lights work great
in indoor laboratories here on Earth, but we're going to have
some substantially different circumstances once we start  growing
plants  in space," remarked Brown.  "The presence of humans and a
less  than  ideal  environment  provides  us  with  some   unique
challenges."

     Those  challenges  primarily center around the intensity and
types of lighting needed to invigorate and substain  the  plants.
Typical  greenhouse  lighting  was  ruled  out  for  a  number of
detrimental reasons that included short  lifespans,  poor  energy
efficiency,  safety concerns with fragile glass lights and an in-
tolerable amount of heat output -- all things to be reckoned with
when dealing with humans,  computers and other electronic  equip-
ment.

      The  idea  of  using LEDs as an artificial light source for
plants is not a new one.    Developed  and  marketed  by  Quantum
Devices,  Inc.  of Barneveld, Wis., the growth-spurring LEDs were
first checked out by scientists at NASA's Ames  Research  Center.
Experimental  studies  have since been undertaken by a handful of
researchers from various universities and  private  institutions,
but  none  are  believed  to be as extensive or fruitful as those
conducted by Brown and Schuerger.

     Although outfitted with much of the same paraphernalia typi-
cally found in indoor  plant  facilities,  this  duo's  lab  more
closely resembles science fiction than science fact.  The bright,
hot  lights  associated  with most plant factories are gone;  re-
placed instead with warm,  fingernail-sized red LEDs and  pencil-
thin  blue  bulbs  positioned  only  inches  above rows of pepper
plants.   Velcro-bound covers shroud the plants,  but  the  near-
surreal  red  light  still  manages to waft from the seams of the
small growing areas and into the lab's open spaces.

     "Plants only need to receive certain types of color  through
light,  and common broad spectrum lights give us much more energy
and heat than what they really need or use," Schuerger  remarked.
"LEDs  dispel  very  little heat and have a thin,  narrow band of
light...We've found red to be a highly effective wave length  for
promoting photosynthesis and acutally managing plant growth."

     The  scientists'  observations  are  obviously valid judging
from the well-colored and broad leafed state  of  most  of  their
pepper plants.  The first three weeks of the plants' growth cycle
are  spent beneath common white lights,  but from the 22nd day on
they are exclusively under blue lights and red LEDs.

"The transition of the pepper plants from the white lights to red
LEDs is fairly smooth and almost undetectable," commented  Brown.
"The  plants  respond well enough to the red LEDs,  but we really
start seeing some good reactions when we intersperse blue  lights
among the red ones."

     Together,  the  blue  lights and red LEDs not only stimulate
healthy pepper plants, but also have positive effects on diseased
crops, helping to invigorate them to good health.  "No matter how
hard you might try,  it's almost impossible to grow  an  entirely
disease-free crop," remarked Schuerger.  "Integrated Pest Manage-
ment (IPM) is a continuous effort here on Earth,  and we can only
assume  that  pests  will  likely  be  a  problem  to  plants  in
space...One  of  our  objectives  is to make sure we've looked at
every possible scenario so that we're not too surprised  when  we
begin growing plants in space."

     The   LEDs   are   being  tested  for  their  usefulness  in
spaceships,  but spin-offs of the research conducted by Brown and
Schuerger  will  likely  someday find its way into the commercial
marketplace.   The miniature LEDs -- which can generate up to 1/2
the  light intensity of mid-day sunlight -- may have uses in com-
mercial gardening, pest management,  experimental growth chambers
and  other  yet  to be imagined areas.   "The technology is still
early in the development,  but  I  think  LEDs  could  have  far-
reaching applications," said Brown.

     "We're  delving into a new area of plant research here," ac-
knowledged Schuerger.  "I'm involved because EPCOT Center and The
Land pavillion are  dedicated  to  the  future  and  particularly
futuristic research...It may be a while before the results of our
studies  fly in space or before their spin-offs are in your local
garden shop, but we're confident that those days will come."

    I have visited the Land Pavillion at Epcot Center last summer prior to
    attending the launch of the STS-46 mission at KSC with my friend Franco
    Malerba on board. 
    
    I was very interested in the experiments in space agriculture and
    would like to have some more detail on the subject. Is there a publication
    that can be ordered from NASA or EPCOT Center?  Is it conceivable to
    reproduce this environment in a home-made greenhouse?
    
    Thanks for the information !
    
    Dani Botton
    Milan, Italy