The Spacelab-Mir-1 “Greenhouse-2” experiment

• Published in: Advances in space research Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 225 - 232
• Main Authors: Bingham, G.E., Salisbury, F.B., Campbell, W.F., Carman, J.G., Bubenheim, D.L., Yendler, B., Sytchev, V.N., Berkovitch, Yu.A., Levinskikh, M.A., Podolsky, I.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 1996
• Subjects: Cell Respiration; Computer Systems; Ecological Systems, Closed; Environment, Controlled; Environmental Monitoring; International Cooperation; Life Support Systems - instrumentation; Plant Leaves - growth & development; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant Roots - growth & development; Plant Roots - metabolism; Research Design; Russia; Spacecraft - instrumentation; Triticum - growth & development; Triticum - metabolism; United States; United States; Russia; NASA Center ARC; NASA Discipline Number 00-00; NASA Discipline Life Support Systems; NASA Program Flight; NASA Discipline Number 61-10; NASA Program CELSS; Non-NASA Center
• ISSN: 0273-1177; 1879-1948
• DOI: 10.1016/0273-1177(95)00881-E

The Spacelab-Mir-1 (SLM-1) mission is the first docking of the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-71) with the Orbital Station
Mir in June 1995. The SLM-1 “Greenhouse-2” experiment will utilize the Russian-Bulgarian-developed plant growth unit (
Svet). “Greenhouse-2” will include two plantings (1) designed to test the capability of
Svet to grow a crop of Superdwarf wheat from seed to seed, and (2) to provide green plant material for post-flight analysis. Protocols, procedures, and equipment for the experiment have been developed by the US-Russian science team. “Greenhouse-2” will also provide the first orbital test of a new Svet Instrumentation System (SIS) developed by Utah State University to provide near real time data on plant environmental parameters and gas-exchange rates. SIS supplements the
Svet control and monitoring system with additional sensors for substrate moisture, air temperature, IR leaf temperature, light, oxygen, pressure, humidity, and carbon-dioxide. SIS provides the capability to monitor canopy transpiration and net assimilation of the plants growing in each vegetation unit (root zone) by enclosing the canopy in separate, retractable, ventilated leaf chambers. Six times during the seed-to-seed experiment, plant samples will be collected, leaf area measured, and plant parts fixed and/or dried for ground analysis. A second planting initiated 30 days before the arrival of a U.S. Shuttle [originally planned to be STS-71] is designed to provide green material at the vegetative development stage for ground analysis. [As this paper is being edited, the experiment has been delayed until after the arrival of STS-71.]