Summary of Operational Capabilities

The Plant Growth Unit (PGU) is a self-contained apparatus designed to house six Plant Growth Chambers (PGCs) and occupy the same amount of space as one middeck locker. The PGU supports whole plant growth by providing acceptable environmental conditions for normal plant development. These units have been the foundation for whole plant research aboard the Space Shuttle.

Technical Details

The PGU can be configured with six PGCs or five PGCs plus the Atmospheric Exchange System (AES).

The PGU houses the plant chambers and all experiment controls. Lamps, heaters, and fans are located within the PGU to provide temperature and lighting control. The PGU also contains displays, which are located on the PGU control panel and a Data Acquisition System (DAS). An electronic data subsystem internally controls all PGU operations such as recording data on tape, day/night cycling of the lamps, and fan speed regulation.