LED lights have made a major impact on a lot of different industries around the world. With their efficiency and long life, LED’s are becoming the choice of many manufacturers when it comes to choosing a light source for their products. One of the latest industries to once again take advantage of LED lights is NASA.
When astronauts were asked what type of food they miss the most on the International Space Station, the answer they came up with was fresh salads. Being able to grow fresh greens in space would be a huge plus to astronauts. Many researchers at NASA’s Space Center are working with a new technology thats used in traffic signals to make a so called “salad machine” which is essentially LED grow lights on steroids that would enable crew members aboard the International Space Station the ability to harvest their own greens.
This is the same technology used in semiconductor clean rooms, automotive assembly lines, and airplane facilities. These new technologies are also being tested to not only grow greens but also to generate and purify oxygen and water which are key to sustaining human life. Being able to remove carbon dioxide from a closed environment is another added benefit.
In order to use plants to generate food, you must have an energy source which is light. The lights needed for this environment need to be very energy efficient so conventional lights used in our homes will not get the job done. Incandescent and fluorescent lamps developed in the early 1900’s both contain electrodes that burn out. This adds additional maintenance that is not needed. Standard lighting also consumes a lot of electrical power which is very precious in space. The additional heat produced by these conventional methods must be dispelled from closed environments which causes even more problems.
Plant physiologists are also experimenting with blue and red full spectrum LED grow lights to grow lettuce and radishes. Some of the leaves on the plants have a black hue due to the lack of green light but they still grow normally and taste the same as those grown under white light. LED lights can last a round trip mission to Mars while incandescent and fluorescent lamps require frequent replacement.
You might not be going to space anytime soon but its interesting to see how NASA is using new technologies to pioneer different ways of harvesting plants in extreme environments using LED grow lights. I’m sure NASA has been using LED technology longer than anyone to harness light without consuming lots of energy. New technology for a new frontier!
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