Research Projects

EDEN ISS

Ground Demonstration of Plant Cultivation Technologies and Operation in Space

Sector

Space

Product/Objective

The aim of EDEN ISS is to identify operation procedures for safe food production in space through adaptation, integration and demonstration of higher plant cultivation techniques.

Project Summary

The basic idea of EDEN ISS is to the develop an ISPR (International Standard Payload Rack)-like system for food production, integrating a controlled agricultural environment characterized by constraints which are analogue to those related to the use of the system in Space and test it on Earth.

EDEN ISS combines the disciplines of plant physiology, biochemistry and mathematical modeling with the design of key electrical and mechanical elements.

Innovation

The development of an ISPR based higher plants cultivation system with a production area of 1 m2 is ambitious and challenging task. The real-time detection of microbiological contamination and the specific decontamination depending on the type and level on contamination supports the mid-term sustainability of the plants in the green house and represents a substantial step towards a reliable "food production" in orbit.

ES Role

Participant in the facility design CE-study | Responsible for thermal fluid dynamics and environmental simulations | Performer of detailed CFD simulations of the environmental control

Partners

DLR German Aerospace Center, Germany | LIQUIFER Systems Group, Austria | National Research Council, Italy | University of Guelph, Canada | Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany | Enginsoft S.p.A., Italy | Airbus Defence and Space, Germany | Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.A., Italy | Arescosmo S.p.A., Italy |  Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands | Heliospectra AB, Sweden | Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland | Telespazio S.p.A., Italy | University of Florida, USA | Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)

Funding Scheme

Funding Scheme Horizon2020 | Call identifier H2020-COMPET-7-2014

EDEN ISS

Project web site

Visit the website

Duration

42 months

Period

March 2015 – September 2018

Coordinator

DLR

Reference in EnginSoft

Lorenzo Bucchieri

Partners Number

13

Ask the Expert

Contact us!

Contact our R&D team for any information.

Ask for information

Find out more

Some of our competences in research and technology transfer

Research project

LIFESAVER

Living Impact on Fetal Evolution: Shelter - Analyze - Validate - Empower Regulations

The LIFESAVER addresses the presently unmet societal and healthcare needs in creating and developing of a validated scientific knowledge base for the development and implementation of regulatory approaches relevant to maternal and fetal health.

Research project

VOLPE

Development of new functions for analytical instrumentation to control dangerous volatile compounds

The VOLPE project aims to engineer and industrialize an innovative optoelectronic instrument to detect explosive compounds in volatile form that can be integrated with commercial systems for screening hand luggage, and capable of operating independently.

Research project

SYLENT

SYstem LEvel quality policy aNalyser and opTimizer

Development of a novel “manufacturing system-level quality and productivity optimizer tool” enabling the evaluation of the system level impacts of the defect avoidance policies that can be adopted within single processes.