IGF::OT::IGF - THE DEPLOYABLE VEGETABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEM (VEGGIE) WAS ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED BY ORBITEC IN 1996 AS A WAY TO PRODUCE PALATABLE, NUTRITIOUS, AND SAFE FRESH FOOD IN A SPACE HABITAT WITH MINIMAL RESOURCES. IN 2003 A SBIR PHASE I GRANT WAS AWARDED TO PROVIDE DEVELOPMENT OF THE VEGGIE CONCEPT. THE SYSTEM WAS FURTHER DEVELOPED UNDER A SUBSEQUENT PHASE II SBIR AWARDED IN 2004 (CONTRACT NO. NNK04OA5C). THESE TWO SBIR S HAVE LED TO ORBITEC PARTICIPATING IN THE VEGGIE INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (IPP) IN 2009-2010 (PHASE III CONTRACT NNK09EA88P) WITH NASA S KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (KSC). AS PART OF THE VEGGIE IPP, ORBITEC ADVANCED THE DESIGN OF THE VEGGIE UNIT CLOSER TO A FLIGHT QUALIFIABLE PACKAGE, DEVELOPED AN UPDATED PROTOTYPE (FIGURE 1) AND CONDUCTED PRELIMINARY VERIFICATION TESTING ON THIS HARDWARE WHICH WAS THEN DELIVERED TO KSC. THIS PROPOSED PHASE III EFFORT UTILIZES THE WORK PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED TO FABRICATE, VERIFY, AND PROVIDE VEGGIE FLIGHT UNITS TO KSC FOR USE ON ISS. 1.1 OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED SIGNIFICANCE THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS TO RAPIDLY PROVIDE TWO (2) VEGGIE FLIGHT HARDWARE SYSTEMS FOR TESTING (IN THE FORM OF A DETAILED TEST OBJECTIVE (DTO)) ABOARD THE ISS. IT IS DESIRABLE TO IMPLEMENT THESE SYSTEMS WHILE A LONG-DURATION MICROGRAVITY TEST PLATFORM (ISS) IS AVAILABLE, AND SO THAT THE TECHNOLOGY CAN BE ADEQUATELY PROVEN IN TIME FOR IMPLEMENTATION FOR FUTURE MISSIONS SUCH AS THE LUNAR SURFACE AND A MARS TRANSIT ENVIRONMENT. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WOULD LEVERAGE PREVIOUS VEGGIE WORK TO ACCELERATE THE HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT AND REDUCE PROGRAM RISK. 1.2 HARDWARE OVERVIEW THE VEGGIE CONCEPT IS BASED ON THE USE OF COLLAPSIBLE GROWING MODULES THAT CAN BE STORED IN A SMALL VOLUME (FIGURE 2). APPROXIMATELY 1M2 OF GROWING AREA CAN BE STOWED WITHIN A CARGO TRANSFER BAG (JSC-39233 REV. D, CARGO TRANSFER BAG INTERFACE DESIGN DOCUMENT). VEGGIE PROVIDES LIGHTING AND WATER/NUTRIENT DELIVERY, BUT UTILIZES THE CABIN ENVIRONMENT FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL AND AS A SOURCE OF CO2 TO MINIMIZE COMPLEXITY AND POWER REQUIREMENTS. THE VEGGIE SYSTEM COMPRISES THREE MAJOR COMPONENTS: THE LIGHT CAP, THE ENCLOSURE, AND THE ROOTING MAT. THE CORE OF THE VEGGIE SYSTEM IS THE SOLID-STATE LIGHTING UNIT. THE COMPACT CONFIGURATION OF THIS SYSTEM IS ONLY POSSIBLE USING VERY LOW PROFILE ARRAYS OF LEDS. THESE SOLID-STATE LIGHTS HAVE PROPERTIES THAT CAN BE MANIPULATED TO PRODUCE HIGH LIGHT LEVELS WITH LESS POWER THAN OTHER LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES. LEDS ALSO ELIMINATE MANY OF THE HAZARDS OF STANDARD LIGHTING SYSTEMS LIKE HIGH TOUCH TEMPERATURES AND THE USED OF TOXIC MATERIALS LIKE MERCURY. THE VEGGIE ENCLOSURE IS IN A BELLOWS CONFIGURATION AS THIS FORM REQUIRES MINIMUM HARDWARE (LIGHTWEIGHT AND LOW VOLUME), ALLOWS RAPID DEPLOYMENT AND RE-STOW, PROVIDES A SOFT ENCLOSURE FOR THE GROWING AREA, SUPPORTS ELEVATED HUMIDITY LEVELS IN THE GROWING AREA, AND ALLOWS ADJUSTMENT TO MAINTAIN A FIXED DISTANCE BETWEEN THE GROWING PLANT CANOPY AND THE LIGHT CAP. DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROOTING SYSTEMS CAN BE USED WITH THE VEGGIE DESIGN. THE ORIGINAL ROOTING SYSTEM DESIGN CONSISTS OF A CAPILLARY ROOTING MAT TO PROVIDE WATER AND NUTRIENT DELIVERY IN REDUCED GRAVITY. THE SYSTEM USES A THIN MAT FORMED FROM NOMEX THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE A VARIETY OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS AND CAN BE SWAPPED OUT OF THE GROWING UNIT WHEN DESIRED. THE ROOT MAT CAN ACCOMMODATE A NUTRIENT SOLUTION SUPPLY SUFFICIENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS, DEPENDING ON THE CROP, AND MEETS ALL NASA SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. THE NOMEX MAT IS PARTIALLY SEALED INTO A TEFLON RESERVOIR, AND HOUSED IN AN OPAQUE TEFLON POUCH. WATER OR NUTRIENT SOLUTION IS WICKED FROM THE SEALED RESERVOIR INTO THE NOMEX MAT. NOMEX WAS USED BECAUSE IT IS A GOOD WICKING MATERIAL WHILE ALSO MEETING NASA FLAMMABILITY AND OUTGASSING REQUIREMENTS. THESE MATS ARE THIN ENOUGH TO BE DISPOSABLE, BUT ALSO ROBUST ENOUGH TO BE DISINFECTED IN SITU USING FOOD GRADE DISINFECTANTS SO THAT EACH ROOT MAT COULD GROW MULTIPLE CROPS, REDUCING RESUP