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@mashable

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket fails minutes after launching to ISS. It's the rocket's first failure in 19 launches. http://on.mash.to/1JrIwFI

‏@NanoRacks

The loss of the #SpaceX ship hurts so many of our #ISS customers. We'll be with NASA this week on future plans & reach out to all as we know

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Falcon 9 Failure Is Second Setback for Unlucky Student Space Scientists

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Space-Earth Science

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX3MyVgU7Ew&feature=youtu.be Video: Students go to new heights, with new challenges

CASIS -- Science in Space / http://www.iss-casis.org/

http://www.iss-casis.org/Education.aspx

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SpaceX CRS-7 -- http://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/wp-content/uploads/sites/227/2015/06/SpaceX_NASA_CRS-7_PressKit.pdf

The Dragon spacecraft will be filled with more than 4,000 pounds of supplies and payloads, including critical materials to support more than 30 student research investigations and more than 35 of approximately 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 44 and 45. Science payloads will offer new insight to combustion in microgravity, perform the first space-based observations of meteors entering Earth’s atmosphere, continue solving potential crew health risks, and make new strides toward being able to grow food in space [as NASA begins producing its own food in orbit for the first time]...

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Student Spaceflight Experiments Program

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Students Studying Space and Earth

National Design Challenge

CASIS has developed a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education initiative titled the National Design Challenge (NDC), intended to further CASIS efforts in encouraging students to become more excited about science. Two Houston, TX schools and three Denver area schools will be sending seven total investigations to the ISS National Lab:

Bell Middle School from Golden, CO will evaluate if vermicomposting in a closed system has the same efficiency in microgravity as it does on Earth.

Chatfield Senior High School, Littleton, CO hopes to establish the viability of algal hydrogen production in space. In specific, the students hope to show that if algae are removed from the gravitational influence of Earth, it will still produce hydrogen in a sulfur deprived environment.

Centaurus High School, Lafayette, CO will study the Effects of Simulated Gravity on Bacterial Lag Phase in a MicroGravitational Environment.

Awty International School (Houston, TX) and teacher Angela Glidewell’s eighth-grade class will evaluate how cosmic radiation poses a serious threat to humans as they continue to inhabit the ISS. The goal is to investigate the feasibility of using Boron-enhanced high-density polyethylene material for shielding against galactic cosmic radiation and solar particle events.

Also at Awty International School, teacher Jessika Smith’s fifth-grade class is interested in determining whether yeast cells produce more carbon dioxide in microgravity than on Earth. Through this inquiry, the students hope to help engineers optimize life support systems for spacecraft and understand how yeast cells can be grown in space for medical research.

Duchesne Academy and teacher Kathy Duquesney’s eighth-grade class will evaluate the effects of microgravity and light spectral quality (i.e., color of light) on plant growth in a CubeSat. This experiment is important for understanding how plants with high nutritional content can be grown on Earth in closed environments and on the ISS to support future long duration spaceflight.

Also from Duchesne Academy, Susan Knizner’s fourth-grade students will examine the effect of different wavelengths of light on algae oxygen production in microgravity. Specifically, they will examine how different light wavelengths affect the growth of algae, Chlorella vulgaris, in microgravity. The students will monitor the oxygen released through the process of photosynthesis to determine the optimal color of light for algae growth in microgravity.

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http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Pictures_from_ISS

http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/PlanetCitizen

http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Citizen_Science

http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Category:Planet_Scientist

http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Planet_Citizens,_Planet_Scientists

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What do astronauts eat in space? http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/06/what-astronauts-eat-space-diet.html

'Space food' -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_food

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What's Next?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plants_in_space

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacelife/topics/plants/#.VY1lxvlVhBc

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Growing Food on a Changing Planet: NASA Brings Food Security Down to Earth at Expo Milano -- June 2015

"Growing food to supplement and minimize the food that must be carried to space will be increasingly important on long-duration missions," said Shane Topham, an engineer with Space Dynamics Laboratory at Utah State University in Logan. "We also are learning about the psychological benefits of growing plants in space -- something that will become more important as crews travel farther from Earth..." http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/10-074.html

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Growing Food in Space, Science Experiments for Students in the UK -- May 2015]

... to try to determine whether one day astronauts could grow their own food in space. "For years, scientists have been researching whether the human race can survive on another planet in the future. In order to do this, we need to grow food in space and we need your help..." can humans survive on another planet like Mars Video: Rocket Science talks food in space

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April 2015 / http://kdvr.com/2015/04/09/lakewood-h-s-students-invention-heading-to-space-station-to-grow-food/

Lakewood High in Denver develops "HydroFuge, a piece of equipment that is designed to store and grow a plant in zero gravity..."

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"VEGGIE" / NASA / April 2014 -- http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/veggie/

Veggie's video highlights from NASA -- https://youtu.be/tixSKAAfiiw

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Growing Food for Space and Earth: NASA’s Contributions to Vertical Farming

Raymond M. Wheeler, Dr. , NASA, Kennedy Space Ctr, FL

Perhaps one of the first demonstrations of vertical farming was carried out by NASA with the Biomass Production Chamber at Kennedy Space Center, FL. Plants were grown on four circular shaped shelves stacked vertically in a closed chamber, with lighting provided with 96, 400-W high pressure sodium lamps. All the plants were grown using a recirculating nutrient film technique, and transpired humidity was condensed and returned to the hydroponic systems. Crops tested included wheat, soybean, potato, lettuce, tomato, rice and radish. This allowed validation of basic protocols developed by university researchers but on a larger scale, and inside a tightly closed atmosphere. The closed atmosphere allowed tracking of volatile organic compounds produced in the system, including ethylene gas, which was chemically scrubbed for some tests. Subsequent testing using standard growth chambers expanded to include LEDs as a light source, and a demonstration of a roof-top solar collection system with optical fibers delivering the light to a chamber inside the building. A series of plant growth tests was also carried out in NASA’s Habitat Demonstration Unit for planetary surface missions. In this case, the plant growth system was placed on a circular shelf surrounding a lift between the lower lab module and the upper crew quarters module. This took advantage of under-utilized volume for growing food within a human living space. More recent testing has focused on testing and selection of dwarf cultivars to maximize production per unit volume for space missions. Many of these concepts and technologies being studied for space align closely with challenges for terrestrial vertical agriculture.

2015 - https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/20.html

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/background/facts/bps.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11538800

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Veg-01 - May 2015 Update

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/863.html

Experiment Description

Veg-01 Research Overview

Assess ease of set-up and operation of Veggie hardware and science.

Assess capacity for Veggie hardware and pillows to effectively germinate seeds.

Assess capacity for Veggie hardware and pillows to effectively sustain plant growth and adequate media moisture:

Compare growth in different media combinations

Collect environmental data via data logger (e.g. HOBO)

Record plant development with photographs.

Assess crew handling aspects of Veggie (planting, daily plant checks and reservoir refilling, harvesting, pillow disposal, sanitation) and determine effectiveness of established crew procedures.

Assess crew psychological benefits of plant growth and crew acceptance of Veggie operations (questionnaire).

Analyze microbial status and assess sanitation methods.

Experiment Description

The overall goal of Veg-01 is to demonstrate proof-of concept for the Veggie plant growth chamber and the planting pillows. This research builds upon hardware development via an SBIR grant to ORBITEC for the initial prototype Veggie units with subsequent hardware development for next-generation units. Both ORBITEC and KSC have been involved in plant growth optimization of the Veggie hardware and testing and collaboration have resulted in the development of the pillow planting concept to interface with the Veggie hardware. Through numerous tests the VEG-01 science team has refined the pillow concept and selected growth media and fertilizers, plant species, materials, and protocols for using the pillow concept in Veggie to grow healthy plants that can provide crew with food and recreation. The pillow concept is designed to be low mass, modular, require no additional energy and be very low maintenance. Pillows of different sizes have been designed to accommodate a wide variety of plant types and different types of growing media.

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Veg-03 - June 2015

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1294.html

Experiment Description

Research Overview

Veg-03 is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 hardware validation test. The primary goal of the Veg-01 hardware validation test was to demonstrate plant growth in the Veggie facility. ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce plants were grown in two different sizes of arcillite, a calcined clay media. The completion of the first run of Veg-01 helped investigators compare root zones of two media sizes to determine water and root distribution within the different sized-particles to provide recommendations for future Veg series investigations. Shoot tissue samples provided information on the microbial load of the plants. Photographs taken during the first run helped in the assessment of plant growth rates, as well as plant health. Two data loggers recorded the temperature and relative humidity within the Veggie facility. Crew questionnaires provided insight into the appropriateness and thoroughness of the crew procedures for the Veggie facility and plant growth operations. Although plant pillows performed well, modifications are necessary for future watering procedures. Veg-03 tests the performance of the water delivery system with modified procedures, and a different crop with different water requirements than that of the ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce.

Plant pillows are single use items, thus reducing the chances of microbial contamination of the Veggie facility and produce. A major aspect of the Veg-01 hardware validation test was to collect baseline microbial data from plants and plant pillows grown in the Veggie facility on ISS. Ground testing has demonstrated very low microbial levels on lettuce plants grown in the ground Veggie facility. Preliminary flight tests conducted on the Veg-01 returned samples indicated fairly low microbial levels without specific pathogens. Discussions with space microbiologists, flight surgeons, and space food technologists indicated that the crew should be able to consume the fresh produce with precautionary sanitizing using on-orbit Prosan wipes since microbial levels in the returned samples were sufficiently low. Preparation is underway to formally document that concurrence. The baseline data collected from both the Veg-01 and Veg-03 flight experiments are a resource for future Veg series investigations. This information provides data on necessary procedural changes, hardware upgrades, or horticultural options, as Veggie becomes an integral part of ISS expeditions in the future.

Description

The overall goal of Veg-03 is to further demonstrate proof-of concept for the Veggie plant growth chamber and the planting pillows. This research builds upon hardware development via a SBIR grant to ORBITEC for the initial prototype Veggie units with subsequent hardware development for next-generation units. Both ORBITEC and KSC have been involved in plant growth optimization of the Veggie hardware and testing and collaboration have resulted in the development of the pillow planting concept to interface with the Veggie hardware. Through numerous tests the VEG-03 science team has refined the pillow concept and selected growth media and fertilizers, plant species, materials, and protocols for using the pillow concept in Veggie to grow healthy plants that can provide crew with food and recreation. The pillow concept is designed to be low mass, modular, require no additional energy and be very low maintenance. Pillows of different sizes have been designed to accommodate a wide variety of plant types and different types of growing media.

The primary goal of the Veg-03 testing is to demonstrate plant growth in the Veggie hardware using 'Tokyo Bekana' cabbage as a test crop. Plants are grown in two different sizes of arcillite, a calcined clay media. This test helps investigators compare root zones of the two media sizes to determine water and root distribution in the different sized-particles to provide recommendations for future Veggie investigations. Shoot tissue samples also provide information on any growth anomalies when compared with ground controls. Photographs are used to assess plant growth rates and plant health. A data logger records the environment within the Veggie hardware. Crew questionnaires provide insight into the appropriateness and thoroughness of the crew procedures for Veggie hardware and plant growth operations.

Pillows are single use and thus reduce the chances of microbial contamination of the Veggie hardware and produce. A major aspect of the proof of concept flight, Veg-03, is to collect baseline microbial data from plants and pillows grown on ISS. Ground testing and Veg-01 results have demonstrated very low microbial levels on lettuce plants grown in Veggie-relevant conditions. Discussions with space microbiologists, flight surgeons, and space food technologists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX indicate that if microbial levels are sufficiently low, the crew could consume the fresh produce without sanitizing. For crops that naturally have higher levels of microorganisms (e.g. radishes, which grow in contact with water and nutrients), a space-rated produce sanitation method must be developed and tested.

The baseline data collected from the Veg-03 flight serves as a resource for future Veggie investigations such as a recently awarded ILSRA grant flying on SpaceX-14. This information provides data on necessary procedural changes, hardware upgrades, or horticultural options.

Space Applications

Future long-duration missions into the solar system, finally culminating on Mars, will require a fresh food supply to supplement crew diets, which means growing crops in space. Previous investigations focused on improving productivity in controlled environments, but the limited quarters of the space shuttle and International Space Station made it difficult to conduct large-scale crop production tests. Veg-03 expands on previous validation tests of the new Veggie hardware, which crew members will soon use to grow cabbage, lettuce and other fresh vegetables in space. Tests determine which types of microorganisms are present in space-grown cabbage, providing baseline data for future crop-growing efforts. Behavioral health surveys assess the impact of growing plants on crew morale and mood.

‏@MarsOneProject NASA’s Veg-01 experiments show success in growing food on planets like Mars!

A study suggests that Mars had flowing water 500,000 years ago. How cool is that? http://mars.social/zr7pd7 pic.twitter.com/yn2XZInaLT

JUN 23, 2015 @ 12:01 Study Says Mars Had a Lot of Water Just 500,000 Years Ago

When our Homo erectus ancestors were learning how to control fire, water was still flowing on parts of the Red Planet

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Food growing in space, some history -- http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22430004.900-asteroid-soil-could-fertilise-farms-in-space.html

and first steps first as we look out at humankind's future ...

"There are great resources in space that can yield immense human populations in this solar system, and much more in billions of solar systems in the galaxy, for billions of future aeons, but we can't count our space lettuces before they germinate, Maunter warns even as they now germinate and grow... we must make secure our human survival on Earth first, so that we can spread life in space."

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"Diary Of A Space Zucchini"

from Astronaut Don Pettit’s blog:

March 26: I have new leaves! I am no longer naked to the cosmos. They are not as big as before however they are just as green. Broccoli and Sunflower have leaves as well and are vibrant. We all have happy roots. This is a hard (sic) to explain to a non-plant, but I am feeling very zucchini now.

June 6
: Last night we observed a little black spot on the Sun…Gardener and his crewmates observed the little black spot move across the Sun through a special filter. Sunflower, Broccoli, and I can look directly at the sun with no filter. We all were smiling.

June 9
: Great news; I have a baby brother sprout! Gardener just showed me baby Zuc. He is strong and healthy and ready to move from the sprouter into his own aeroponic bag. While Broccoli and Sunflower are great companions, there is nothing quite like having a zucchini to zucchini conversation.

June 17: 
Excitement is in the air. Gardener said we will soon be returning to Earth. Our part of the mission is nearly complete and the new crew will take over for us. I am a bit worried about Broccoli, Sunflower, and me. If Gardener leaves, who will take care of us? And what about little Zuc? He is now a big sprout and ready to branch...

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As space travel becomes increasing a public-private partnership, NASA is not alone in testing out food programs. “We can’t afford to keep shipping water, oxygen and Kraft dinner to the moon indefinitely,” says Mike Dixon, one of the foremost researchers on grow-your-own-space-food. Dixon is a professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, and his program is looking at the viability of longer-term crops, like soybeans. Other efforts are focusing on vertical farming design; some researchers are replicating Mars-like conditions on Earth, like the South Pole.

For NASA researcher Gioia Massa, this is the realization of a decades-old dream starting with hydroponics ;-. As a teenager in Florida, she was both a member of her local Future Farmers of America chapter and — like many kids of the ’80s — a space superfan. Her career path was shaped early by a teacher of hers who attended a NASA educational program called “Energize the Green Machine,” speculating on the future of space farming.

Now, after devoting a life to getting here, Massa is on the brink of space farming’s launch.

She mulls over the implications.

“Do I think this could hold the keys to our future?” she asks, then pauses.

“Yes, I suppose I do.”