Stratospheric sustainable ways of O2 production with Cyanobacteria
The Project
SpiCy (Stratospheric investigation of combinatory cyanobacterial biofilms) is a student-led mission to investigate the behavior of combinatory cyanobacterial biofilms under increased ionizing and non-ionizing radiation levels in the stratosphere to propose new alternatives of oxygen suppliance during space travel missions.
Project SpiCy intends to capitalize on the cyanobacterial ability to produce oxygen with minimum requirements and research their viability in long-term oxygen generation for human space flight and colonization missions.
Biology
Cyanobacteria are among the oldest and most efficient photosynthetic organisms on planet Earth. They contribute 25% of the oxygen on Earth today and were crucial in forming our atmosphere in the early stages of Earth’s development through oxygenation. As they are mostly aquatic or at least, need a certain degree of humidity, heterotrophic bacteria as a biofilm coordinator to mitigate their dependency are incorporated. These biofilms are a promising candidate in a plethora of space-related research (i.e. medicinal). Through forming adhesive biofilms, the bacteria are more resilient to radiation, thermal shocks, mechanical tearing and dry environments.
Mechanical design
The mechanical design includes a styrofoam container housing individual biofilm tubes, each slot tailored to tube dimensions for stability and insulation. An aluminum profile cage reinforces the outer box for structural integrity and protection. A thermal control system regulates conditions for biofilm growth, with sensors providing real-time feedback for adjustments. A transparent plexiglass lid allows sunlight and visual inspection, securely attached for contamination prevention. An electronics compartment, made of durable plexiglass, organizes internal components with convenient access points for maintenance. Materials like styrofoam and quartz glass are chosen for their insulating and transparent properties, respectively, ensuring optimal functionality.
Electrical design
The electronic core of the system is orchestrated by a microcontroller, specifically an RP2040 This microcontroller serves as the brain, overseeing and coordinating all system operations. It reads in sensor data and adjusts the Power of the Heating elements according to this.
All data management will happen with one central data container, a struct named packet. It contains Sensordata, status, a timestamp and the pid values of the temperature system. It will be saved locally on the SD card and transmitted to a laptop via the ethernet connection.