Search Results

The paper concerns the selection of plants for a space green-house. Methodical approaches to compile plant sets using specific and standard characteristics are described and the task in connection with the selection of plants sets is formulated. Principles for developing algorithms employed to design acceptable variant plant sets are considered, two types of algorithms permitting the formation of the vegetational and vitaminous parts of a daily diet with the help of plant sets are described. It is also demonstrated how the methodology of compiling plant sets is being realized.

It is generally recognized that in long-term space flights it is necessary to create an environment adequate to human requirements. Such environment can be created using biological life-support systems of which the main component are higher plants. The investigations were carried out with plants in different morphological forms: seeds, tubers, bulbs, seedlings, vegetating plants. An integral effect of space flight factors has been estimated in plants on the subcellular, cellular and organism levels. Changes in the composition of photosynthesizing pigments, carbohydrate metabolism and mineral composition have been revealed. One of the main results of plant investigations is that they have proved the possibility for plants (e.g. Arabidopsis and wheat) to experience the whole cycle of ontogenesis under microgavitational conditions.