Canadensys will design a components for a lunar greenhouse to support long-term human presence on the Moon.
The company has been awarded a contract from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for design work on a “Ground Test Demonstrator” (GTD) of a Lunar Greenhouse.
In collaboration with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), the CSA will explore technologies required to build a self-sustaining bio-generative life-support system (BLSS) on the Moon.
“We are excited to be undertaking this work,” said Gilles Leclerc, Canadensys Director of Government and International Affairs. “Not only does it strengthen space collaboration between Canada and Germany, but it also positions Canadensys as a key international provider of agriculture services on the Moon.”
Through academic partners McGill University and the University of Guelph, the Canadensys team will refine the designs for the following:
- Nutrient Delivery System
- Illumination Control System
- Plant Health Monitoring Systems
Also included is a robotic “Versatile Assistant” to enable un-crewed operation of the greenhouse.
“This activity augments our other efforts in the field of lunar food production,” said Christian Sallaberger, Canadensys President & CEO. “We are proud to be developing space greenhouse systems to support international Artemis astronauts during lunar surface missions.”
However, this isn’t Canadensys’ first foray with designing lunar greenhouses. They are concurrently developing a prototype lunar greenhouse system under the CSA’s Lunar Surface Exploration Initiative (LSEI), and conducting sub-system research as part of the CSA’s Space Technology Development Program (STDP), per the Canadensys press release.
The LSEI is a funding and development program that supports technologies for potential Canadian infrastructure on the Moon’s surface. It focuses on agriculture, food production, autonomous and intelligent rovers, mining and in-situ resource utilization, power generation and distribution, and avionics and communication.
Canadensys has previously received two contracts under LSEI to explore concepts:
- $299,998 to develop a concept for a lunar greenhouse designed to support crewed lunar habitation
- $249,995 to assess possibilities for modular surface rovers, ranging from micro-rovers to large, pressurized rovers capable of human transportation
The CSA has a large role in lunar exploration and infrastructure development. In addition to these projects, they will provide Canadarm3 to the Lunar Gateway, an orbital lunar station.
The agency will also send its first lunar rover to the South Pole of the Moon in a search for water ice, which will further extend human presence on the Moon. Through electrolysis, water-ice can be split into hydrogen and oxygen, which can be used for various applications, including rocket fuel production.
Read the Canadensys press release here.
