| The continued expansion of space exploration requires that habitats for many kinds of life be developed. Not only must astronauts be provided with an environment suitable for their survival, so must their food supply. Growing fish and aquatic plants in space can provide a valuable addition to a space diet, which largely consists of freeze dried food. Past research in the area of space based aquatic life has chiefly focused on the effects of a microgravity environment on the behavior, lifecycle, and health of plants and animals. To sustain an aquatic ecosystem over an extended period of time, many additional challenges must be overcome. This proposed experiment addresses the problem of filtration. On earth, gravity imposes a degree of natural order on aquatic systems. Solid matter and contaminants settle out of the water, and a filtration system is necessary only to remove very fine particles. In space, an aquarium is in a constant state of disorder. Plants and fish are mixed up with contaminates and solid waste throughout the whole tank. This experiment will use a directed current to filter a tank of water in microgravity, with minimal disturbance to the tank’s contents. |
