Space Grant Consortium - University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Our team has two goals:
1. To put Star on the moon by 2016, ensuring that Star will have a >90% chance of survival
for a minimum of one lunar cycle (~28 earth days).
2. To reintroduce a food crop using ABE for high-altitude sustainable agriculture, for which
under wild-type conditions it will not produce a yield yet, will produce a substantial yield
using ABE amended soil.
Before returning humans to the moon many scientists believe continued unmanned lunar
exploration is needed. NASA believes that precursor robotic lunar Lander missions will provide
valuable information that will ultimately minimize astronaut risk, increase their efficiency, and
lower lunar architectural costs. 9
Star would be an important technology demonstration for; local;
gamma, X, UV, and IR spectroscopy, local magnetic field, thermal gradients, biological
mechanism @ 1/6g performance, ECLSS loop @ 1/6g performance, E(semi-C)LSS, (open-
E)LSS, biological lunar dust impact, biological dust characterization, biological dust mitigation,
material science dust compatibility, radiator dust exposure, dust filter, thermal surface influence,
surface processes for an airless planetary body, gravimetry; g-field as a function of lunar
rotation, lighting perspective; permanent low incidence at lunar poles, in situ thermal wadi
(oasis) effects on biologics, and Star experiment surface communication.
KAG, Divide, CO. To reach the goal of putting an extremophile plant on the surface of the
moon we directed our research at the objectives however, like most experiments many paths and
opportunities presented themselves. To maintain focus we needed to create a name for our
extremophile plant, the same plant that will ultimately be planted on the surface of the moon;
Optunia noquisi. Dr Cindi Schmitt decided on the name Noquisi which means “Star” in the
Cherokee language. Star then is an engineered extremophile cactus designed to be both lunar day
and night hardy 10
.
Dr Cindi Schmitt has her research base at ~9,800 feet (70.2kPa) with research extending to
10,100 feet or 69.3kPa (Pressure Loss 31.03% from Sea Level). Numerous papers indicate using
10psi or 69kPa for proposed inflatable lunar structures. In fact Dr Schmitt’s research work in
lunar partial pressure is remarkable. Furthermore Dr Schmitt’s high-altitude research includes;
two kinds of tomato plants, mesclun, mondara, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, herbs,
strawberries, beans, chia, spinach, beets, cucumber, cilantro, lichen, red and white clover, mint,
oregano, savory, cress, nasturtium, two varieties of O. ficus-indica, three varieties of O. fragilis,
O. phaeacantha, O. polyacantha, grafting, and 10 types of soil amendments; JSC Lunar-1A
regolith simulant, JSC Mars-1A simulant, Pikes Peak Regolith (PPR), Cpyr, N liquid, Vitamin B,
perlite, wild-type scat, wild-type soil, and greenhouse prepared mulch which contains; egg shells,
tea leaves, coffee grounds, and aged horse manure.
The high elevations found in Teller County and Ute Pass greatly influences plant growth. The
length of the growing season varies from 150 days at 6,000 feet to 70 days at 10,000 feet. At
6,000 feet the frost-free season extends from May 15th to October 10th. Given great latitude, in
9 NASA Lunar Precursor Robotic Program (LPRP). http://moon.msfc.nasa.gov/.
10 LUNAX, Nightspan Dark Hardiness Experiment. Controls lighting schedules to follow the twentyeight
day cycle of sunlight and darkness on the Moon’s surface. www.lunarreclamation.org/lunax/index.htm.
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