Prickly Pear Cactus for Space Survival: Testing the ability of Texas Prickly Pear (O. Engelmannii lindheimeri) to survive space travel
Component #1: What do I want to know?
We want to know if the Texas Prickly Pear cactus (Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri) can survive relatively unprotected space travel. If this cactus is still able to grow after being exposed to extreme temperature differences, extreme force, and radiation, then it could potentially serve as a “survival” component for space travel, extended stays in space, and exploration. It may provide food, water, oxygen, and medicine in space, as it is known to do on Earth.
Four of the main concerns in space travel and future space settlement are food, oxygen, water, and medical supplies. Although sending these things from Earth is common procedure at this time, it is expensive. NASA states that:
“Today, it costs $10,000 to put a pound of payload in Earth's orbit” and that it is their goal to “reduce the cost of getting to space to hundreds of dollars per pound within 25 years and tens of dollars per pound within 40 years.” (
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/background/facts/astp.html_prt.htm).
It is also more difficult to transport these essentials over very long distances, at which point a small, lightweight, resilient, and easy-to-grow medium that can be revived as needed would be very beneficial.
The ability to manage and store water – a precious resource in space – makes the Prickly Pear cactus even more attractive. On Earth, it thrives in arid conditions on 3 to 16” of rainfall annually,
(Water requirements:
http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/pubs/0603/prickly.html
http://eol.org/pages/404214/details
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/sonoran_desert_climate.htm
which would make it ideal for exploration and settlement, such as the Mars mission.
We choose the Texas Prickly Pear cactus (
Opuntia engelmannii lindheimeri),
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=openl
for its many potential benefits complementing our research goal:
Pros:
- Extremely resilient (on Earth)
- Grows faster than other cacti
http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/pubs/0603/prickly.html
- Good source for clean water
- Edible leaves (vegetable)
- Edible fruit (sugar and vitamins)
- Medicine
- Decoration
Cons:
- Requires work to prepare for consumption
- Small glochids can be a health hazard if not properly removed
- Larger spines may cause physical damage to sensitive material
Component #2: Why do I want to know it?
We are planning this experiment to help solve the problem of limited resources in space that are essential to human survival, namely food, water, oxygen, and medicine.
We need an airborne platform so that we can safely and effectively test the conditions that are typical for space and can only be simulated with immense effort on Earth.
It will test the cactus’s ability to withstand the immense heat of going through the atmosphere, the harsh cold of space and the stratosphere, and the extreme radiation without the protection of the Earth’s atmosphere.
While the rocket is going through the atmosphere, the cacti, although cushioned, will be subjected to bruising and extreme pressure. This experiment will test the cactus’s ability to withstand one of the roughest phases of space travel.
We can’t do this on a grounded platform, because it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, and cost prohibitive to simulate the same intensity and rapid changes in environmental conditions that are presented on an airborne platform.
We know of one recorded instance of cacti research in space, namely the “NanoRacks-National Center for Earth and Space Science-Aquarius (SSEP Mission 1) (NanoRacks-NCESSE-Aquarius)” project by El Paso Community College in 2015. (Source:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/988.html)
The goal was not to test the resiliency of cacti through relatively unprotected space travel, but rather the use of cacti mucilage for water purification in microgravity. This means that our project will be testing different aspects of the Prickly Pear cactus that have not been tested before.
Other experiments have already been done to test the resiliency of plants to the extreme conditions of outer space. One experiment by the European Space Agency sent an “Expose-E experiment package to the ISS that was filled with organic compounds and living organisms to test their reaction to outer space.” (Source:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120623145623.htm ) During the experiment, the package was exposed to extreme temperatures changing from -12 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius over 200 times as they orbited Earth. Surprisingly, some lichen in this package not only survived, but thrived during this experiment. Our experiment is different, because it focuses on one specific plant, the Texas Prickly Pear cactus.
Component #3: How does my experiment and anticipated results solve or connect to a real-world situation or problem on Earth on in space?
Since the beginning of space travel and the dream of colonizing other planets, people have asked themselves many important questions: What will we eat? Where will we get oxygen to breathe? How will we get water? Will we have access to any medical essentials?
If we want to one day colonize other planets and explore farther into the universe, we must find answers to these questions.
Our team believes that the Texas Prickly Pear cactus (
Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri)
can make a significant contribution to answering these questions.
Prickly Pear has been historically proven as an excellent source of food. The pads are a decent source of carbohydrates as well as an excellent source of vitamin A. The fruit is also a good source of carbohydrates and vitamin C.
Prickly Pear cacti have large pads that extend from the plant in several directions, allowing it to absorb plenty of sunlight and carbon dioxide in a very unique fashion , allowing it to efficiently produce oxygen. (
http://plantsinaction.science.uq.edu.au/edition1/?q=content/2-1-6-crassulacean-acid-metabolism-cam)
Prickly Pear cactus is able to survive in harsh climates because it efficiently stores water. In the case of
Oppuntia engelmanni var. lindheimeri, an astounding 85-90% of the plant’s weight is stored water.
Finally, Prickly Pear cacti have several medicinal properties that will provide explorers with essential first aid. The mucilage from the pads can be used to reduce insulin shock and to kill bacteria. The pads themselves can be used for burn treatment, antiseptic poultices, and hemostats. Source:
www.texasbeyondhistory.net/st-plains/nature/images/prickly.html
Having all these properties in one resilient and fast growing plant makes our cactus a truly exceptional resource for space exploration.
Why is the airborne platform (rocket or balloon) you have chosen a good mechanism for studying or investigating the phenomenon about which you know or have observed?
The sounding rocket will be crucial to testing whether our cactus will be able to withstand the rigors of launching into space. During the launch and landing the cactus will be experiencing extreme pressure, vibration, and heat. This will test the cactus’s ability to cope with the traumas of space travel.
The air balloon is the ideal mechanism to test how the cactus would react to conditions after the launch. Once the cactus is in the stratosphere, it will be exposed to extreme cold and radiation.
Component #4:Experiment Description
For Sounding Rocket:
The sounding rocket will launch at approximately 20 g's of force, reach 66 degrees Celsius in the nosecone, spend 2-3 minutes in microgravity, crash into the Atlantic, and remain there until retrieval.
For Air Balloon:
In the air balloon's 3-hour flight, it will reach the top of the stratosphere where our experiment will be exposed to l
ow pressure, extreme cold, and radiation before landing.
Materials:
- CiS cubes (rocket/balloon test cube; control cube), 14 grams
- Sun/Air dried cuttings from Prickly Pear from school property, one for each cube, approximately 15 grams
- Sterile gauze as packing material, approximately 10 grams or as needed
- White rice as packing material (to achieve proper weight requirements), approximately 24 grams or as needed
- Terra Cotta flower pots, 8-inch, one for each cactus
- Soil from the area around the mother plant
- Well water
- Photo camera
Variables (dependent and independent)
Dependent variable to test: Growth. Is a cactus able to grow after being exposed to the rigors space travel?
Independent variables (rocket):
The cactus samples will experience 20 g's of force, rapid changes in atmospheric pressure, and intense vibrations. The cactus samples will be subjected to bruising and potential damage to cell structure as a result.
Independent variables (balloon):
The cactus samples will experience 3 hours of radiation and extremely low temperatures. The cactus samples will be subjected to potential cell destruction or mutation as a result.
Control Cactus:
• Same harvesting process
• Same packaging
process (cube)
• Storing process during dormant time as comparable as possible to conditions of test cactus except for space travel
• Same re-growing process
Steps to conduct the Experiment or Investigation
Pre-Launch Preparation:
1. Cut several pieces of cacti and let them sun/air dry.
2. Pick a test sample and a control sample that by weight is closest to achieve the maximum allowed weight of the payload (64grams).
3. Wrap the cacti in sterile gauze for cushioning.
4. Add rice to achieve the exact high end of allowed weight.
5. Weigh and record the weight of both cubes.
6. The control cube will be stored in a dark, cool place [school closet] while the test sample is sent out.
Post-Return Investigation:
1. Weigh and record the weight of the payloads and components.
2. The test and the control samples will be planted in 8-inch flower pots, with soil from the area near the mother plant, and positioned near the mother plant.
3. All samples will be watered ¼ cup of well water every other day.
4. Visual growth will be observed for 2-3 months by taking photos once every other day.
5. At the end of 3 months (or 2 months if significant growth is observed) all plants will be measured and weighed:
a. Number of pads
b. Approximate area of the largest pad
c. Root length
d. Individual and total weight of pads
e. Total weight of roots
We will analyze the data by comparing the pad area, root length and weight of the pads and roots and determine the derivation (if any) of the cactus that went into space and the control cactus.
Component #5: What do I predict will happen?
Since there is little research done with
Oppuntia engelmanni var. lindheimeri, we are basing our prediction on the resilience known on Earth of Prickly Pear cactus, and predicting that the space trauma will not impact or destroy the ability of
O. lindheimeri to grow again.
We predict that the
O. lindheimeri test sample sent to space will re-grow at the same rate and volume as the control cactus.
For the Sounding Rocket:
If we subject a piece of
Oppuntia Engelmannii var. Lindheimeri to the extreme forces of the sounding rocket's launch in the form of 20 g's, rapid changes in atmospheric pressure, and vibrations , then we predict that the cactus will grow at the same rate as a cactus that did not undergo space travel.
For the Air Balloon:
If we subject a piece of
Oppuntia Engelmannii var. Lindheimeri to the extreme forces of the air balloon's flight in the form of extreme radiation and low temperatures of the stratosphere, then we predict that the cactus will grow at the same rate as a cactus that did not undergo these effects commonly encountered in space travel.
[We are basing our predictions on research from the resources mentioned in previous links]
What are your procedures to obtain information, data, and answers to the questions posed as a result of the experiment?
(same for sounding rocket and air balloon; see Component #4)
How will you know that you have the answers to your question as a result of the experiment or investigation?
If our experim
ental cactus takes root and grows, we will know that pieces of cactus can survive the extreme conditions of space travel and still be revived.
Component #6: What could be done with the information?
Who can benefit from the results of this experiment or investigation?
If successful, Prickly Pear cacti could contribute to providing an excellent source of food, oxygen, water, and medicine on Mars or similar exploratory missions in space, or for any prolonged stay in space.
Oppuntia Engelmannii var. Lindheimeri could also be a significant contribution towards allowing extended expeditions into unknown territory.
How will we communicate the results of the investigation to the person, group, or organization that could benefit from knowing the results of your experiment or investigation?
Upon successful completion of the investigation we wish to share our research with the Mars-1 mission team (
http://www.mars-one.com) for use in the colonization of Mars. Further research is needed in space to evaluate how much the cactus produces and how much cactus is needed to support the colony.
We would also like to share the results with the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2005/mars_plants.html). They could combine their extremophile genes with
Oppuntia Engelmannii var. Lindheimeri to make it super-resilient.
Within four weeks of the completion of testing, we will also send a report via email to the CiS program with the complete test data, pictures, and results.
While the Austin Area Homeschoolers Engineering group is in session, we will share current updates in person. After the school year ends, we will stay in touch via social media and Dropbox.
To share our CiS progress with the broader homeschooler community and others, we will start a blog that will document the progress of our research. We will write weekly project updates and extra posts for important news.
