NASA SBIR 2002 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Orbital Technologies Corporation
1212 Fourier Drive
Madison , WI   53717 - 1961
(608 ) 827 - 5000

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Robert C. Morrow
morrowr@orbitec.com
Orbital Technologies Corp., 1212 Fourier Drive
Madison , WI   53717 - 1961
(608 ) 827 - 5000

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
ORBITEC proposes to develop a deployable facility called the Vegetable Production System (VEGGIE) to produce vegetable (salad) crops to supplement prepackaged foods during long stays in space. The innovation of the VEGGIE is in providing, within a single middeck locker, a plant growing facility with a growing area of 0.5m2 to 1.0m2, a light source sufficiently intense for crop production, a compressible nutrient and water delivery system, and a semi-passive atmospheric control system that minimizes water use without limiting gas exchange. To minimize complexity, VEGGIE would utilize the cabin environment for temperature control and as a source of CO2. The primary goals are to provide the crew with a palatable, nutritious and safe source of fresh food and to provide the crew with a tool for relaxation and recreation. The anticipated results of Phase II activities include the development of high fidelity VEGGIE prototypes, food safety protocols to prevent microbial contamination, and the necessary data and documentation to support a critical design review (CDR). Completion of the CDR would allow an immediate build of flight qualified units as a Phase III activity.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
VEGGIE technologies have significant near-term NASA applications including flight qualified personal gardens on ISS as a psychological benefit desired by space crews (available now); middle school, high school and college education and outreach kits relating to plant growth in space (available October 2003); and one square meter of commercial, NGO or NASA-operated fresh food augmentation for ISS (available in 2005). Additionally, several system configurations would be immediately available to support conduct of food production and ALS research on ISS with minimal resources and cost. All of this activity supports technology, knowledge-base and experience for future advanced life support systems development.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Commercial applications for the VEGGIE system include products for horticulture therapy practiced in facilities for the aged, rehabilitation hospitals and clinics, prisons, and other settings where psychological and/or physical therapy is required; commercially available, pre-college and college level science education systems; personal indoor gardening products and gifts; inexpensive specialty plant growth systems; and storable food supplements for emergency or remote locations. A series of commercial education systems varying in complexity are being pursued with industry partners who have proclaimed interest in these technologies. VEGGIE technologies also increase productivity of tissue culture and other biologically-based manufacturing markets.