TRC Powers LED Lighting Space Gardens

Imagine eating fresh, crisp vegetables grown thousands of miles above Earth. Thanks to innovative LED technology, this is becoming a reality for astronauts aboard space shuttles. Astronauts are growing fresh food during space missions, enhancing their nutrition and adding variety to their meals.

Driving this remarkable advancement is the Growing Beyond Earth (GBE) program, a citizen science project for 6th-12th graders. Created by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in partnership with NASA scientists, the GBE has laid the foundations for growing food in space.

Plants are tested in small growth chambers designed to mimic the unique International Space Station (ISS) environment. Each chamber contains an edible plant and LED lights that are powered by an LED driver. Since plants require light to grow, LEDs provide a controlled and efficient light source, facilitating optimal plant growth.

The growth chambers provide a stable and regulated environment for plants, controlling factors such as temperature, humidity, light, and air quality. Once students successfully grow plants in these chambers, NASA tests them to replicate the results in space. Through the program, students and teachers have tested 180 varieties of edible plants for NASA and four plant varieties have already been flown on the ISS.

Check out this video on how TRC is teaming up with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden to supply MEAN WELL LED drivers, ensuring the LED lighting system that powers the chambers runs smoothly. This project is in sync with TRC’s mission to impact one billion lives by providing the solutions our clients need to succeed.

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