Students from the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College are feeling optimistic their entry in the Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) Deep Space Food Challenge will advance to Phase 3 of the multi-year contest.
This week, the team met with CSA members in the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF) on campus to unveil the system that could one day be used to grow food during lengthy space missions.
Called Canada GOOSE, or Growth Options for Outer Space Environments, the food-growing system is a self-contained, plant-growth chamber that uses advanced environment control technology to grow vegetables, fruits and mushrooms without soil, sunlight or even fresh water.
As the CSA panel watched, the U of G team cranked open the door of the sealed growth chamber to reveal multiple levels of plant pods filled with lettuce, chard, tomatoes, broccoli and more.
GOOSE student team leader Jared Stoochnoff, a post-doctoral researcher in the School of Environmental Sciences (SES), explained the system features calibrated LED light systems that mimic the sun and can match the needs of each crop.
“The temperature, carbon dioxide and circulation within the growing chamber are carefully controlled using a low-wattage system that requires no more energy than a video gaming device,” he said.
Contest to drive advancements for more sustainable food production
The plants thrive on a hydroponic system that delivers nutrients to the plants using a growing medium the team designed, explained Rosemary Brockett, a second-year SES master’s student and Arrell Scholar who noted it took several tries to get the system just right.
Other team members demonstrated their
