A METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING ATMOSPHERES FOR SPACE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS

IT IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED THAT HIGHER PLANTS WILL SERVE AS IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONING AND FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS FOR FUTURE SPACE OR PLANETARY SURFACE HABITATS. BECAUSE OF STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS IT IS LIKELY THAT ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND PRESSURE WILL BE RADICALLY DIFFERENT. IN DEFINING GROWTH SYSTEMS FOR ALTEREDATMOSPHERES WE MUST UNDERSTAND HOW PLANTS OPERATE IN GENERALUNDER ALTERED PRESSURE, WE MUST OPTIMIZE IN TERMS OF GROWTH CONDITIONS WITHIN THE ENVELOPE DICTATED BY STRUCTURAL AND OPERATING PARAMETERS AND OPTIMIZE IN SELECTION OF PLANT SPECIES AND VARIETIES MOST SUITABLE FOR USE UNDER THE CHOSENCONDITIONS. THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH OF USING A LARGE SCALEFIELD TEST IS NOT COST EFFECTIVE. A MEANS OF SIMPLIFYING AND REDUCING COST OF RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO DEFINE THE PLANT SPECIES AND VARIETIES AND THE CONDITIONS UNDER WICH THESE PLANTS WILL BE GROWN. THIS PROJECT UTILIZES 11CO2 EXTENDED SQUARE WAVE KINETIC ANALYSIS TO NON-DESTRUCITVELY CHARACTERIZE THE PRODUCTIVITY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF PLANTS UNDERLOW PRESSURE ENVIRONMENTS. IT UNDERTAKES THE DEVELOPMENT OFTHE SPECIFIC METHODOLOGY AND APPARATUS NECESSARY FOR ADAPTION OF THIS TECHNIQUE FOR EVALUATION OF PLANT FUNCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY UNDER ALTERED ATMOSPHERES AND FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A LARGE SCALE EVALUATION PROGRAM FOR SPECIES AND GENOTYPES USEFUL IN SPACE HABITABILITY SYSTEMS.