Microgravity Capable Mushroom Cultivation:
Passive Porous Tube Nutrient Delivery System
Designed by: Morgan Re, Christian White, Emma Givens, Refat Ahsan, Robert Walters, Simon Hensley, Tom Kasputis
Advisor: Dr. Clay Wright : Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech Department of Biological Systems Engineering
Client/Advisor: Jacob Torres (NASA)
Advisor: Dr. Clay Wright : Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech Department of Biological Systems Engineering
Client/Advisor: Jacob Torres (NASA)
Final Design Poster
Additional Background
What is PPTNDS?PPTNDS stands for "Passive Porous Tube Nutrient Delivery System". The PPTNDS, being tested by NASA currently, utilizes capillary action to deliver water and nutrients to plant roots. Seeds are glued to the porous tube so that the water and nutrients are easily absorbed. Water and nutrients are circulated through the porous tube and the reservoir, which are connected via non-porous tubing. This technology is beneficial to NASA because it is (1) low maintenance, (2) eliminates the most common source of error in active systems (the pump), and (3) has been shown to use less water than other systems.
The product of this senior design project is intended for use by the Kennedy Space Center, where Biosystems Engineer, Jacob Torres, will use it to conduct research on the development of his PPTNDS. |
Why Oyster Mushrooms?One challenge scientists face today is developing food products for astronauts that maintain their nutrient value and flavor over the course of five or more years. For food sent from Earth, a shelf life of 5 years is the minimum due to the time it takes to travel to and from Mars and the cost of launching resupply missions deep into space. Growing fresh food in space, reduces, if not eliminates, this need for food resupply missions.
Oyster mushrooms are of particular interest to NASA due to their high nutrient profile and antiviral properties. The Oyster Mushroom is a very hearty fungus and has the ability to grow in a number of substrates and in a large range of environmental conditions. For example, the Oyster Mushroom will produce high yielding fruit in temperatures ranging from 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This adaptability is important in crop selection for space applications since astronauts only have limited time, energy and resources to dedicate to each task. Photo Citation: https://www.verywellfit.com/the-benefits-of-oyster-mushrooms-89610
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