Appendix E: KSC Partnerships Office: Design and Manufacturing of a Seed Planter and Germination System for Space Crop Production

Crop growth will be important for supplementing packed food during future long-duration human exploration missions. Various supporting technologies on the ground and on the International Space Station (ISS) have been tested at NASA – Kennedy Space Center (KSC). There is a critical need for the development of seed handling technologies, approaches, and increased knowledge to advance the development of future crop production systems. NASA has identified gaps in the area of seed handling to support space crop production for future long-term exploration missions. Growing plants in the ISS to provide diversified, balanced, and healthy diets to crewmember is a common vision. The complex challenges for crop production in space include: 1) It is tedious and time consuming for maintenance of seed germination system and transplant of germinated seed after nursery in space. 2) The germination rate is relatively low when planting in space under microgravity and radiation. 3) The types of plants and crops are limited, because they must thrive under the harsh conditions of microgravity while providing various food and psychological benefits at the same time. To our understanding, controlling the orientation of seed using a customized seed container with a microgravity compatible design has the potential to improve the germination rate. In this study, we propose to use a 3D printed sacrificial seed tray coupled with an automated seed planter to improve germination rate with less labor involved during the nursery process. In this proposal, we are responding to the NASA Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) EPSCoR R3 announcement NNH21ZHA002C, focusing on the research project of “Seed Handling Approaches for Space Crop Production”. Our team has been in communication with Drs. Raymond Wheeler, Ralph F. Fritsche, and Gioia Massa from NASA KSC for technical guidance. Our goal is to fill in the gaps of seed handling to support space crop production for future long-term exploration missions. The objective of this study is to fabricate sacrificing seed containers for different crops using additive manufacturing technology to fit the need of controlling germination orientation in international space stations. The specific aims are: 1) select the food safe, biodegradable hydrogels that can be 3D printed into sacrificial array tray to provide hydration, anchorage, and nutrients for seed nursery; 2) fabricate the germination array tray with customized array patterns using 3D printing technology to fit the need of guiding the orientation of selected seeds, i.e., lettuce, tomato, alfalfa, and soybeans; 3) investigate the effect of hydrogel firmness, hollow size, and pattern of the array tray on the seed orientation and germination rate/time using automated image analysis under microgravity environment. The Sc-I Dr. Hantang Qin has a long track record in 3D printing process control, process optimization, and new material characterization. Previously, he has led two NASA projects to develop an in-space 3D printer. He has successfully customized the lab-built 3D printer for fused deposition modeling (FDM) and extrusion-based 3D printing. He will carry out Task #2 and Task#3 to implement 3D printing to manufacture seed planters and germination trays. The Co-I Dr. Xiaolei Shi has expertise in food production, bio-material development and 3D printing of biodegradable materials. Her work has been published in several journals ranging from material science to food and pharmaceutical applications. She has also held a US patent of “Cellulose Derivative Based Sacrificial Support Structures for 3D Printing”. She will supervise Task #1 and Task #3 in the proposed research. The PhD students will be co-advised by Dr. Qin and Dr. Shi. The NASA PI Tomas Gonzalez-Torres will supervise and ensure the progress of the project. He will also promote the idea with other NASA colleagues. Our team will continue the collaboration with NASA KSC for this study if funded.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.