Fact Sheet

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Advanced Biological Research System (ABRS)
07.24.09
Scientists and payload developers can get more information on International Space Station research facilities by contacting the ISS Payloads Office or at 281-244-6187.

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Facility/Payload Overview

Brief Facility Summary

The Advanced Biological Research System (ABRS) is a single locker system with two growth chambers that is compatible with both the Space Shuttle and the ISS. Each growth chamber is a closed system capable of independently controlling temperature, illumination, and atmospheric composition to grow a variety of biological organisms.

Facility Manager(s)

  • David R. Cox, Kennedy Space Center, FL

    • Co-Facility Manager(s)

  • David W. Reed, Bionetics Project Engineer, Kennedy Space Center, FL

    • Facility Developer

    NASA Kennedy Space Center, Applied Technology Flight Integration, Kennedy Space Center, FL
    The Bionetics Corporation, Kennedy Space Center, FL

    Sponsoring Agency

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

    Expeditions Assigned

    |18|19|20|21|22|

    Previous ISS Missions

    Information Pending

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    Facility/Payload Description

    Facility Summary

    • The Advanced Biological Research System (ABRS) is a single middeck locker equivalent system with two independently controlled chambers. ABRS is compatible with the Space Shuttle middeck and International Space Station EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) racks.


    • ABRS can be used to grow plants, microorganisms, and small arthropods (insects, arachnids etc).


    • Each ABRS chamber can provide temperature control to 8 degrees C below ambient temperature, atmospheric contaminant scrubbing, carbon dioxide control, relative humidity control, generic top-down imaging, power and data services for a variety of experiment unique equipment that can be mounted inside the chambers.

    Description

    The Advanced Biological Research System (ABRS) is a single middeck locker replacement facility. As a middeck locker replacement, the ABRS is compatible with both the Space Shuttle and the ISS EXPRESS racks. While in the middeck, ABRS is a rear-breathing, powered locker that can be used as a primary facility or as an up and down specimen transportation device. In EXPRESS, the ABRS is a subrack facility payload that takes advantage of both rear air breathing and also intercooling via the moderate temperature loop (MTL). Sensor data and images are conveyed via Ethernet through the EXPRESS rack to the ground. ABRS may be commanded either from the ground or by the crew using an EXPRESS laptop. The current operating scenario includes a low-power ascent mode in the middeck and permanent residence of the ABRS facility on the ISS.

    Each ABRS Environmental Research Chamber (ERC) can independently provide the following services:

    • Temperature control to 8 degrees C below ambient

    • PAR of 50-300 micromol/m2/sec illumination

    • Continuous ethylene removal to below 25 parts per billion (ppb)

    • Controllable atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) level

    • Continuous removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

    • Relative humidity control between 60-90%

    • Generic chamber imaging from three cameras

    • Generically supports experiment unique equipment (EUE) including a Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) imager.

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    Operations

    Facility Operations

    Information Pending

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Availability

  • On-Board ISS

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    Related Web Sites

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    Publications

    Results Publications

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      Related Publications

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        Images

        imageABRS facility with locker shell removed for clarity. (Image provided by NASA)
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        imageABRS facility with locker shell and front hatch removed for clarity. (Image provided by NASA)
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        imageABRS Environmental Research Chamber (ERC). (Image provided by NASA)
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        Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
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