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Autonomous Biological System (ABS)
12.05.08
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 Autonomous Biological System (ABS) is a self contained, isolated aquatic habitat that requires only gross temperature control to cabin standards and cabin lighting to remain active. The contained system can house aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates or vertebrates and remains viable for up to 18 months. The unit is utilized to propagate aquatic species in the long-term for understanding microgravity effects on species multi-generation propagation.

Facility Manager(s)

  • Carole Hammond, Paragon Space Development Corporation, Tuscon, AZ

    • Co-Facility Manager(s)

    Information Pending

    Facility Developer

    Paragon Space Development Corporation, Tuscon, AZ

    Sponsoring Agency

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

    Expeditions Assigned

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    Previous ISS Missions

    The ABS has flown on several Space Shuttle missions, Mir, and the ISS.

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    Facility/Payload Description

    Facility Summary

    • The Autonomous Biological System (ABS) was designed to allow for controlled propagation of aquatic species in a highly autonomous environment, either within an isothermal containment module that provides input of photosynthetically active radiation or thermally protected from launch as a stand-alone system and deployed to the International Space Station (ISS).


    • ABS will provide a method of long-term biological propagation of species to elucidate the effects of microgravity on species behavior, morphology and adaptation.

    Description

    Paragon's patented Autonomous Biological System (ABS) provides for long term growth and breeding of aquatic plants and animals within Autonomous Biological System (ABS) provides for long-term growth and breeding of aquatic plants and animals isolated from the spacecraft life support system and cabin atmosphere contaminants with little or no need for crewmember interaction.

    The ABS consists of two cylinders of Lexan capped by aluminum closure caps that are screwed on. The clear Lexan allows for continuous observation by the crewmember or observation through video camera by ground personnel. Nutrients and elemental compounds are introduced within the aquatic contents during system loading that allows for a self-regulating environment maintaining adequate nutrient and oxygen content for the experimental subjects through continuous day/night cycles.

    The ABS has proven to be adaptable to different flight environments, the Progress , Space Shuttle, Mir and the ISS and has shown robust recovery from unplanned events. The ABS has been adapted to support Halocaridina rubra (red shrimp), Hyalella azteca (freshwater amphipod), and Heterandria Formosa (mosquito fish) and therefore has demonstrated its ability to be utilized with various species in space.

    Each ABS cylinder can hold approximately 3.6-liters and is 22.9 cm x 15.2 cm x 7.6 cm and weighs less than 2 kg. If using ISS lighting no power is required, if an internal light source is used then less than 15-Watts is needed. The ABS should be kept in a cabin air temperature of 18.3 degrees C - 29.4 degrees C.

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    Operations

    Facility Operations

    ABS is requires late load into the spacecraft, less than 48 hours before launch. If an internal light source is used the crewmember will initiate the light on/light off sequence.

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Availability

  • Operated on 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

        imageAutonomous Biological System (ABS) provides for long term growth and breeding of aquatic plants and animals, within complete material closure, isolated from the spacecraft life support system and cabin atmosphere contaminants, and with little need for astronaut intervention. Image courtesy of Paragon Space Development Corporation.
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        Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
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