{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":93810,"title":"uG-LilyPond - Floating Plant Pond for Microgravity","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10727,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10726,"level":3,"code":"TX07.2.1","title":"Logistics Management","definition":"Logistics management technologies institute a centralized logistic depot to manage and optimize the use of Earth-supplied consumables at the exploration destination via residual recovery, repurposing, recycling, commonality, and parts repurposing.","exampleTechnologies":"Propellant scavenging, flexible, vacuum-rated liquid storage bags, power scavenged wireless sensor tag systems, dense zone technology (radio frequency identification enclosure), sparse zone technology, logistics complex event processing, six degrees of freedom logistics tag system, packaging foam, additive printer feedstock, autonomous logistics translation and unpacking, logistical waste (e.g. food packaging, cargo transfer bags, etc.) repurposing or recycling into new materials, logistics carriers, packaging, and restraint systems","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":2,"currentTrl":3,"endTrl":3,"benefits":"The complete μG-LilyPond� system will provide supplemental fresh food, atmosphere revitalization, and potentially wastewater treatment for microgravity spacecraft habitats, at reduced cost for infrastructure, power, consumables, and crew time. The design can be easily adapted to a low gravity environment for planetary surface habitats.
1) A commercial Earth-based μG-LilyPond� system could be made available to populations in water and nutrient scarce regions or otherwise harsh environments that would benefit from potable water and nutrient recovery from waste streams, and the integration with indoor aquaponics systems (fish production). A simplified, less costly design would be appropriate for commercial production targeted to in-home use, where operating conditions are less severe than in space. 2) μG-LilyPond� sensor suite and control software would be commercially beneficial to aquaponics facilities by improving yield while reducing economic cost of production. Service to aquaponics companies would include customized design and installation relevant to their specific facility needs and existing infrastructure. Space Lab will initially seek local Colorado aquaponics companies for initial demonstration and then expand to national or even international markets. 3) By recovering nutrients from wastewater and rapidly growing biomass, μG-LilyPond� may be commercially attractive for biofuel production from municipal waste. SpaceLab will approach both private and public Colorado based entities that may be interested in commercial wastewater treatment and biofuel production applications, using an environmentally controlled volume efficient system.","description":"The proposed μG-LilyPond is an autonomous environmentally controlled floating plant cultivation system for use in microgravity. The μG-LilyPond concept expands the types of crops that can be grown on a spacecraft in a flexible, efficient, low maintenance package. The μG-LilyPond features several innovations relative to state of the art, including passive water and nutrient delivery to floating plants, volume efficiency, minimal time for maintenance, full life-cycle (seed to seed) support, and crop flexibility. Small floating macrophytes like Duckweed and Azolla are 100% edible (with no inedible biomass), nutritious (high in protein), exceptionally fast growing, and able to thrive in nutrient rich wastewater. The μG-LilyPond concept aims to maximize production of these tiny plants in a very small volume, for use as a crew dietary supplement, atmospheric revitalization component (CO2 reduction to O2), and potentially a metabolic wastewater treatment facility. The goal of this Phase I project is to develop a conceptual design for a reliable, flexible, and efficient floating plant production system for use in microgravity. Phase 1 Objectives are to 1. Determine feasibility of passive water delivery to floating aquatic plants in microgravity; 2. Determine feasibility for continuous autonomous biomass harvest and water (effluent) extraction; 3. Determine feasibility of autonomous floating plant propagation; 4. Define autonomous environmental monitoring and control methods to support candidate crops; 5. Estimate cultivation system efficiency, in terms of production capacity versus equivalent system mass; and 6. Plan for future development of a fully functional flight unit. This collaborative effort between Space Lab Technologies, LLC and the Bioastronautics research group from the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department will combine modeling, analysis, and engineering to demonstrate technology feasibility.","startYear":2017,"startMonth":6,"endYear":2018,"endMonth":6,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":76435,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Christine","lastName":"Escobar","fullName":"Christine Escobar","fullNameInverted":"Escobar, Christine","primaryEmail":"chris@spacelabtech.com","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":206378,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jason","lastName":"Kessler","fullName":"Jason L Kessler","fullNameInverted":"Kessler, Jason L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"jason.l.kessler@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":215154,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jennifer","lastName":"Gustetic","fullName":"Jennifer L Gustetic","fullNameInverted":"Gustetic, Jennifer L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"jennifer.l.gustetic@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":62051,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Carlos","lastName":"Torrez","fullName":"Carlos Torrez","fullNameInverted":"Torrez, Carlos","primaryEmail":"carlos.torrez@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"projectManagers":[{"contactId":3164177,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Raymond","lastName":"Wheeler","fullName":"Raymond Wheeler","fullNameInverted":"Wheeler, Raymond","primaryEmail":"Raymond.M.Wheeler@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":461333,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Theresa","lastName":"Stanley","fullName":"Theresa M Stanley","fullNameInverted":"Stanley, Theresa M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"theresa.m.stanley@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"","libraryItems":[{"file":{"fileExtension":"pdf","fileId":302868,"fileName":"STTR_2017_1_BC_T7.02-9876","fileSize":1485356,"objectId":299413,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"1.4 MB"},"files":[{"fileExtension":"pdf","fileId":302868,"fileName":"STTR_2017_1_BC_T7.02-9876","fileSize":1485356,"objectId":299413,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"1.4 MB"}],"id":299413,"title":"Briefing Chart","description":"uG-LilyPond - Floating Plant Pond for Microgravity, Phase I Briefing Chart","libraryItemTypeId":1222,"projectId":93810,"primary":false,"publishedDateString":"","contentType":{"lkuCodeId":1222,"code":"DOCUMENT","description":"Document","lkuCodeTypeId":341,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"LIBRARY_ITEM_TYPE","description":"Library Item Type"}}},{"caption":"uG-LilyPond - Floating Plant Pond for Microgravity, Phase I Briefing Chart Image","file":{"fileExtension":"png","fileId":300116,"fileName":"STTR_2017_1_BC_T7.02-9876","fileSize":1710089,"objectId":296654,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"1.6 MB"},"files":[{"fileExtension":"png","fileId":300116,"fileName":"STTR_2017_1_BC_T7.02-9876","fileSize":1710089,"objectId":296654,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"1.6 MB"}],"id":296654,"title":"Briefing Chart Image","description":"uG-LilyPond - Floating Plant Pond for Microgravity, Phase I Briefing Chart Image","libraryItemTypeId":1095,"projectId":93810,"primary":true,"publishedDateString":"","contentType":{"lkuCodeId":1095,"code":"IMAGE","description":"Image","lkuCodeTypeId":341,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"LIBRARY_ITEM_TYPE","description":"Library Item Type"}}}],"transitions":[{"transitionId":70755,"projectId":93810,"partner":"Other","transitionDate":"2018-07-01","path":"Advanced To","relatedProjectId":95019,"relatedProject":{"acronym":"","projectId":95019,"title":"uG-LilyPond - Floating Plant Pond for Microgravity","startTrl":4,"currentTrl":6,"endTrl":6,"benefits":"μG-LilyPond™ will provide supplemental fresh food for microgravity spacecraft habitats, at reduced cost for infrastructure, power, consumables, and crew time. Space Lab’s Phase III goal is the development of a flight ready μG-LilyPond™ unit to be flown on the ISS or other orbiting research facilities for operational demonstration. There are also many innovative technologies within the growth chamber that could be valuable to several NASA programs, including the capillary growth bed, close canopy LED lighting, rotary sieve harvester, and environmental control algorithms. Each of these technologies are vital components of integrated chamber but can also be modular elements incorporated into other research platforms. The growth chamber and its modular technologies have the potential for infusion into several NASA programs, including the Advanced Exploration Systems program under HEOMD for bioregenerative food production or synthetic biology applications (biofuel). The growth chamber could also serve as an improved research platform for gravitational biology under SLPSRA. The modular technologies could also be incorporated into existing life science research facilities. SLPSRA could use the capillary driven water re-cycling loop as a research platform for fluid physics. HRP could utilize our growth chamber to research the in-flight production of vitamins, protein, and n3 fatty acids. μG-LilyPond™ could also be utilized on the ISS as a plant biology research facility.
Water Lentils as a Food Ingredient/Nutritional Supplement: LilyPond Water Lentils are a whole food ingredient that can be used in high protein nutritional supplements, food products like baked goods, or even as a fresh vegetable, sold either fresh or freeze dried to food product manufacturers and nutritional supplement providers. With a specially optimized growth process, we can provide a water lentil product with higher nutritional density and yield than other water lentils on the market today. Agricultural Equipment/Supplies for Indoor Duckweed Vertical Farming: When we have established a market demand for our innovative, nutritionally dense plant product, we can then start selling our customized agricultural equipment and proprietary environmental control software to other horticulturists. Close Canopy Lighting for Indoor Vertical Farming: Other potential commercial markets may exist for μG-LilyPond sub-system technologies, developed to optimize duckweed cultivation for autonomy and efficiency. For instance, the lighting system might be marketed to plant biology researchers. It will allow fine tuning of the light spectrum and high intensity output, with highly efficient LEDs in a relatively small panel. Space Lab has discussed this innovation with plant biologists who suggested we might market the lighting panel as a way to retrofit old growth chambers with outdated lighting systems.","description":"Regenerative space life support will undoubtedly require food production, to recover nutrients and close the carbon loop in a spacecraft habitat. Aquatic plants have enormous potential for edible biomass production but have been little studied as potential food crops for space applications. The proposed μG-LilyPond™ is an autonomous environmentally controlled floating plant cultivation system for use in microgravity. The μG-LilyPond™ concept expands the types of crops that can be grown on a spacecraft to include aquatic floating plants as a nutritional supplement for the crew diet. Innovative features include low maintenance, increased reliability with passive water delivery, volume efficiency, full life cycle support via vegetative propagation, close canopy lighting, and crop versatility. Biomass produced will be used primarily as food but could also be used for biofuel or fertilizer. This collaborative effort between Space Lab Technologies, University of Colorado, and Refcon Services, Inc. will combine Phase II design, analysis, prototype fabrication, and testing to demonstrate technology function and prepare for flight prototype demonstration in the space environment. Phase II will begin with the Phase I conceptual design and analyses and culminate in the detailed design, fabrication and testing of an integrated engineering demonstration unit (EDU). In addition, we will develop a flight prototype of the water transport loop, built to operate in a relevant microgravity environment, for use in future flight opportunities. Finally equivalent system mass of the proposed μG-LilyPond™ concept will be established for the detailed EDU design. Phase I conceptual design and feasibility assessment illuminated several important focus areas for Phase II, and well positioned our team to accomplish our proposed objectives.","startYear":2018,"startMonth":9,"endYear":2022,"endMonth":6,"statusDescription":"Completed","website":"","program":{"acronym":"SBIR/STTR","active":true,"description":"
The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdId":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer"},"lastUpdated":"2024-1-10","releaseStatusString":"Released","viewCount":504,"endDateString":"Jun 2022","startDateString":"Sep 2018"},"infoText":"Advanced within the program","infoTextExtra":"Another project within the program (uG-LilyPond - Floating Plant Pond for Microgravity)","dateText":"July 2018"}],"primaryImage":{"file":{"fileExtension":"png","fileId":300116,"fileSizeString":"0 Byte"},"id":296654,"description":"uG-LilyPond - Floating Plant Pond for Microgravity, Phase I Briefing Chart Image","projectId":93810,"publishedDateString":""},"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"SBIR/STTR","active":true,"description":"The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
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