Since 1992, WCSAR has developed a series of advanced plant life support technologies and autonomous payloads for conducting scientific research in space, with a goal of providing space-based, fully automated biomass production systems to support NASA’s long term human exploration of space and other planets.  The ASTROCULTURE™ flight experiment series were conducted to validate the performance of each individual plant life support technology as well as the integrated biomass production system in a microgravity environment via Space Shuttle missions STS-50, -57, -60, -63, -73, -95, -101, and -107. Validated technologies and systems include capillary action-based active fluid nutrient delivery systems, solid-state temperature and humidity control systems, transpiration recovery systems, low-energy and low-heat wavelength specific LED lighting systems, thin-film photocatalytic reactors for ethylene degradation, active carbon dioxide control systems, and ASTROCULTURE™ flight payloads (the fully automated single middeck locker units for plant growth research). 

With the help of successful ASTROCULTURE™ missions, in early 2000 WCSAR launched efforts to develop the ADVANCED ASTROCULTURE™ autonomous flight payloads: fully automated double middeck locker units dedicated to conducting fundamental and commercial plant research on board the International Space Station (ISS) for extended periods of time.  To enhance the autonomous capability, ADVANCED ASTROCULTURE™ is equipped with the following newly developed technologies: (a) Auto-prime technology completely eliminates the need for electrical power during Shuttle ascent/descent, and therefore greatly relieves the shortage of Shuttle resources and ISS crew time, (b) State-of-the-art control software combined with fault tolerance and recovery algorithm significantly increases overall system robustness and efficiency, and (c) Tele-science capability allows engineers and scientists to remotely plan, conduct, and monitor the experiments.

WCSAR has also developed the largest ISS-based Plant Biotechnology Facility.  It is a quad-middeck locker size payload which fits into the lower half of an 8/2 Standard EXPRESS rack.  It provides (a) an enclosed and environmentally controlled large chamber to accommodate a variety of plant biological research, (b) multi-spectrum imagers and miniaturized robotic manipulators to allow for in-situ tissue sampling and DNA screening, and (c) a pair of single-level-contained glove ports for in-flight access and transfer of the experimental materials.