An Engineered Design of 3-axis Clinostat for Simulated Gravity Experiments in Astrobotany

With the explorations of life in space, there is the need to sustain the basic needs of humans in space without constantly getting supplies from Earth. Hence, this is where space farming exudes its importance in today's time. Space farming, however, is not as similar to the farming practices on Earth due to the different environmental factors, especially gravity. There is a need for a device or facility that has the capability to mimic the space conditions on Earth. A clinostat is a device that comprises one or more axes that can rotate specimens and resemble partial gravity in a flight experiment. Hence, to study space farming, a clinostat is vital to be used in observing seedling tropisms. In the present time, this area of research could be considered sparse yet growing. With this, a conceptual design of a 3-axis clinostat is presented in this study with a dimension of 40×40×27 in. Moreover, this study suggests incorporating a rotary system, fertigation system, and lighting system in the conceptual design of the clinostat to better control the environment the seedlings will grow in. This study also presents the mechanical components of the proposed design and how the control system is integrated into the clinostat. The resulting clinostat may be used to cultivate a total of 36 seedlings which may be divided into two which may be subjected to two different light spectrums. The lighting system could help in observing the possible effects of different light settings on plants. Subsequently, the proposed fertigation system could help sustain plant growth by delivering water and nutrients to the roots through a spray mechanism.