PROBLEM STATEMENT
One of humanity's greatest challenges in preparing for extended missions beyond Earth is figuring out how to cultivate food in space. Understanding which plants thrive in low-gravity or zero-gravity environments and how they do so is a critical need for future space operations. As such, it has become necessary to create an environment here on Earth where it is possible to simulate a low-gravity or zero-gravity environment while still controlling the amount of water and light that the plant recieves.
EXPLANATION
Fairchild's Growing Beyond Earth science program seeks to address this issue through the creation of a three-dimensional clinostat. This device will rotate in random motion along three axes, which will enable controlled experiments that mimic the low/zero-gravity environment that space provides. This will allow researchers to study which plants are suitable for such an environment and how certain plants adapt to growing in such an environment. The data gathered from this project will directly support NASA’s Artemis project, which aims at leading humanity forward in establishing permanent bases on the moon to facilitate human missions to Mars and aid in researching the rest of space.
TEAM MEMBERS
Lorenzo De Toro
Jack Sosa
Lorenzo Cruz-Cruz
Jose Zequeira