Mars Society - Oregon Chapter
Oregon Abstracts
Boulder - Convention 2002

Gus Frederick:
Data Acquisition Concepts for ET Agriculture
(Life Support Technology)

Acquiring and logging data is at the heart of most any scientific endeavor. In the past, much of this was accomplished with 'dumb' sensors, which required a person to physically note and record variables at predetermined intervals. With the increasing reduction in size and costs for automated datalogging systems, it really makes more sense to automate these procedures. This way valuable crew time is not wasted on manually recording variables, and a consistency of records is also maintained.

The author will discuss his work using a variety of data acquisition systems in his work relating to life support technology, specifically in the area of ET Agriculture. Sensors and systems highlighted will include the Vernier LabPro, Onset Hobo and the Davis Instruments WeatherLink meteorological data logger. Additional low cost alternatives to data acquisition will also be explored, making use of second-hand hardware.

A Portable Mars Garden
(Life Support Technology)

One of the most important aspects of any future long-term exploration of Mars will be a suitable scheme for recycling of air, water and biomass. Many proposals have been explored, and some have been used in simulation, or plan to be, at the various Mars Research Stations. This approach differs significantly from the other two current Mars Research greenhouses, in that no attempt is made to simulate the physical appearance of such a system, as is being attempted with the MDRS GreenHab. And unlike the proposed A.C. Clarke Greenhouse proposed for the HMP, this system will not be an 'off-the-shelf' commercial greenhouse.

Rather, the Portable Mars Garden is being designed and built specifically as a working greenhouse to explore the use of specific plant material, in a remote setting, for wastewater reclamation, air purification and protein production. Additionally, the PMG is being designed to allow for its erection, in the field, with minimal tools. Indeed, it is our hope that the unit can be setup by one or two EVA suited Martian SIMsters.

A full complement of sensors will be integrated into the system, including O2, CO2, pH, humidity, temperature and light levels. Additionally, a dedicated datalogging weather station is included to record meteorological variables in real time. The PMG is also serving as a test-bed prototype for a larger CELSS system, as a working display garden at The Oregon Garden in Silverton.

Martian Cave Mice: A CEMSS Update
(Mars and Education/Life Support Technology)

How best to effectively demonstrate basic Advanced Life Support Systems in an educational setting? Requirements of space, mass, and logistical factors for many remote research facilities severely limit any sort of full-sized human CELSS/ALS setup. Enter the CEMSS Module. This is a self-contained experimental package, designed to demonstrate many of the basic functions of a full-sized Advanced Life Support System, but with a fraction of the mass and no ecological impact. Likewise, it will provide a unique educational opportunity to observe the basic workings of a bio-regenerative system.

Since its conception, the CEMSS concept has evolved into a more sophisticated concept, and has been included into a NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts, (NIAC) Grant. Its mission as a result has been expanded to explore more complex aspects of an ALS system, including a Martian Cave scenario and exotic gas mixture to simulate an ISRU Martian atmosphere of O2, N2 & Ar. This test will occur later this summer/early fall in a lava tube cave in Central Oregon. The results of these tests will be applied to a human-scale simulation next summer in an Arizona cave.

The system's sensor web will monitor variables such as CO2/O2 levels, temperature, humidity, pH levels, etc. Power for the system will be provided by 12 vdc storage batteries, kept charged with a photovoltaic system. Plants for the mice will be lemna minor, commonly known as 'duckweed,' a prolific, water plant with high nutritional and other unique qualities.

A suite of High School curriculum is being developed in partnership with McNary High School in Salem, Oregon. The semester-long course will be a multi-curricular unit involving the construction of the actual system, pre-flight tests, data acquisition and analysis techniques.

Duckweed & Water Fern: Flat Crops for Mars
(Life Support Technology)

Bioregenerative life support on Mars will require more than your 'garden variety' crops. Some the features we should be looking for is rapid growth, low light requirements, wide pH range and high nutrition with minimal wastes. And the simpler the required infrastructure, the better.

The author will report on two unique plants that seem ideally suited for this function: Duckweed, (Lemna minor) and Water Fern, (Azolla filiculoides). These plants, unlike traditional 3-D crops, grow on the surface of water, in as little as several inches of depth. Additionally, both contain more protein per dried weight than soy beans, and have been known to double their mass in 24 hours under optimal conditions.

In the case of duckweed, they will survive a wide range of pH levels, (4.5 to 9), are relatively salt tolerant, and fix nitrogen from solution, working best with ammonia, (from urine). Additionally lemna can survive in a wide range of temperatures. Azolla, while a bit more temperamental, has the advantage of being able to fix nitrogen directly from the air via symbiotic cyanobacteria.

Both of these 'flat crops' are conducive to ET Horticulture utilizing low-power LED lighting. Since they don't grow 'up' like other plants, an LED array need not be movable. Their small size also makes it easy to 'modularize' the growing process. Examples of growing techniques as well as food items produced from these plants will be examined.