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SPACE V INNOVATION IS AT HE FOREFRONT OF PLANT CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES IN SPACE.
Very high yield and great energy savings.
In greenhouse design, providing the best climate environment for crop growth and reducing energy requirements are usually in conflict. Space V’s innovative multi-level adaptive greenhouse proposes an architecture that overcomes this conflict by minimizing the volume of air to be conditioned in the growth compartments, adapting it to the specific needs of the crops.
Rigorous laboratory tests on a prototype AVF greenhouse have shown that the lighting and ventilation systems can be brought close to the plant canopy without any risk of damaging it; theoretical studies show that adopting the AVF architecture it is possible to obtain plant production yields per unit volume of an average of 108%, up to a maximum of 135%, compared to a fixed-shelves greenhouse of the same volume, together with energy savings of up to 43%.
How all of this is achieved
Throughout most of their development cycle, plants are in a growth phase where they require little vital volume. Current greenhouse development projects in space are evolutions of terrestrial greenhouses, in which all volumes are air-conditioned, inducing an overconsumption of energy.
The Space V greenhouse avoids these drawbacks by progressively adapting the vital volume available to each plant according to its level of growth. A mechatronic system moves the cultivation shelves managed by Artificial Intelligence algorithms optimizes the distance between the shelves according to the precise level of growth of the plants during its growth cycle.
Flexibility in choice of plants.
Whether a space greenhouse is used as an experimental facility as a service for the scientific and industrial communities or is intended to produce plants useful for the nutrition and nutraceutical care of astronauts, it is very important that the greenhouse is capable of simultaneously growing different types of plants with different environmental needs
How it is achieved.
The Adaptive Space V Greenhouse can be designed to accommodate in each cultivation shelf different types of plants requiring different temperatures and humidity rates; this is done by equipping each shelf with a separate micro-conditioning system.
The need for different microclimates on each growing shelf is directly reflected in the volumetric flow of air used to maintain a given thermo-hygrometric condition and therefore affects energy consumption and ultimately the cost per unit of harvested product. Even in this scenario, assuming constant air changes every hour, the comparison between the adaptive greenhouse and the traditional one with fixed shelves shows a 45% reduction in energy consumption
LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN SPACE AND SPACE V CONTRIBUTION.
Plans to return to the moon to stay are materializing while space travel is opening to private initiatives, either for scientific and economic purposes or leisure. Humans are about to expand their realm beyond earthly boundaries.
Unlike robots, humans require life support systems in space which will include fresh vegetable food, indispensable for their health both physical and psychological.
Commercial space travelers aboard LEO stations will look for comfort like hotels on Earth and quality accommodations – including availability of fresh food – will become a distinctive competitive edge for paying passengers.
Astronauts traveling to the moon and mars will need gaining autonomy from terrestrial food supplies.
Space Agriculture is a new area of space research, where biology and robotics work together; it is a source of continuous innovation.
Space V’s contribution to life support systems in space hinge around the engineering of the Adaptive Greenhouse architecture. Its agrotech system will provide astronauts with locally grown food and oxygen.
Studies are ongoing to evaluate different cultivation substrates and recycling of organic waste produced onboard.
The next generation of space environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) must be able to maintain healthy living conditions and not waste resources. It must include regenerative systems for oxygen, water, food preparation and waste management and must be highly reliable and efficient. Space V is ready to collaborate with leading companies in the world engaged in the design of ECLSS to integrate our multi-layer adaptive greenhouse concept into future plant-based food production systems
The AVF patent.
The multilevel adaptive greenhouse technology patent was developed by Germina – Space V’s mother company – initially aimed at ground applications in precision farms, vertical farms and home cultivators. SpaceV has acquired this technique and transferred it to the space environment where the ambient conditions are far harsher than on Earth and the imperatives to save mass, volume, energy and water are ever more compelling.
