Enea, Asi and G&A Engineering together for gardens in orbit

The Martian Garden by Mark Watney (aka Matt Damon) in “The Martian” is no longer a perfect city thanks to Shoe (Optical system for LED lighting and hyperspectral control for growing plants for aerospace applications), the project that collects Anya, toItalian space agency (on) and the G&A Engineering.

funded by Lazio region As part of the LAerospaZIO Call, which aims to promote technology transferor sector The space, Sole aims to use systems LED lighting High-tech for use in space gardens to grow micro-vegetables capable of integrating the astronauts’ diet with highly nutritious substances. The scientific basis of the project is to use the best light recipes or combinations Drove emitting light of the most effective frequencies to induce plants to produce biologically active substances within an automated and controlled system, minimizing human interference. This aspect is fundamental not so much for productivity, but to avoid contamination from tampering and to allow you to monitor the growth status of plants even from a distance.

the Biotechnology Laboratory of the Enea Research Center in Casaccia The task of determining the parameters of LED lighting and selection of plant species in relation to both the nutritional needs of the astronauts and the ability of plants to adapt to hydroponic conditions. In this way, the correct combination of lighting and types will be selected to ensure optimal production in terms of quantity and quality. on Instead, it has the task of defining plant design requirements for illustration within the following programs for human space exploration. In the G&A Engineering Instead, it will be up to the design and development of the cultivation plant in a controlled environment.

“Space exploration beyond low Earth orbit depends on the possibility of producing and recycling primary resources on site, freeing themselves as much as possible from supplies from Earth; this need is especially relevant when it comes to fresh food, essential for the psychological and physical well-being of astronauts – he says Luca Nardi, responsible for Anya From the single project – hence the importance of being able to cultivate plant species on the expeditions.”

She is sure that the results of the project will also be used in “land” crops. Angela Desiderio: “The need to identify alternatives to traditional farming techniques is growing urgent – said researcher Enea from the Biotechnology Laboratory – that can move plant production even in harsh environments, such as urban areas, but also arid, polluted or adverse climatic areas in order to support the growing demands on fresh and quality-assured foods.

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