Common Astrobotany Definitions and Acronyms

ASOP-0004 Version 1

Table of Contents

1.0: Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to cover common astrobotany definitions and acronyms.  

2.0: Common Astrobotany Definitions and Acronyms

  • ABRS: Advanced Biological Research System
  • ADSEP: Advanced Space Experiment Processor
  • ADVASC: Advanced Astroculture
  • AFT: Advanced Food Technology
  • ALS: Advanced Life Support
  • ALSARM: Advanced Life Support Automated Remote Manipulator (located in the BPC)
  • ALSARM-EE: Advanced Life Support Automated Robotic Manipulator–End Effector (also BPC)
  • APEX: Advanced Plant Experiments
  • APH: Advanced Plant Habitat
  • ARG: Astrobotany Research Group (at Oregon State University)
  • ASOP: Astrobotany Standard Operating Procedure
  • ASRM: Artificial Sunlight Research Module
  • BDL: Below Detection Limit
  • BFS: Bioregenerative Food Systems
  • BLS: Bioregenerative Life Support
  • BLSS: Bioregenerative Life Support System
  • BPC: Biomass Production Chamber
  • BPS: Biomass Production System
  • BPSe: Biomass Production System for Education
  • BRF: Bioregenerative Food Systems
  • BRIC: Biological Research in Canisters
  • BRIC-SyNRGE: Biological Research in Canisters Symbiotic Nodulation in a Reduced Gravity Environment
  • CAB: Controllo Ambientale Biorigenerativo (BLS program, Italian Space Agency)
  • CARA: Characterizing Arabidopsis Root Attractions 
  • CASIS: Center for the Advancement of Science in Space
  • CBEF: Cell Biology Experiment Facility
  • CCSC: Candidate Crop Selection Committee
  • CE: Controlled Environment
  • CEA: Controlled Environmental Agriculture
  • CEH: Controlled Environment Horticulture
  • CELL: Controlled Environment Lighting Lab (Michigan State)
  • CELSS: Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems
  • CEPP: Controlled Environment Plant Production
  • CESRF: Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (University of Guelph, Ontario)
  • CGBA: Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus
  • CHROMEX: Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space
  • CPBF: Commercial Plant Biotechnology Facility
  • CRLSS: Closed Regenerative Life Support System
  • CUE-TSIPS: Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment-Teachers and Students Investigating Plants in Space
  • cv: Cultivar (‘cv’ should be lowercase)
  • DAP: Days After Planting
  • DRATS: Desert Research and Technology Studies (also abbreviated to Desert RATS)
  • DST: Deep Space Transit
  • DWSIS: Dual Wavelength Spectral Imaging System
  • EC: Experiment Container
  • ECLS: Environmental Control and Life Support
  • ECM: Energy Cascade Model
  • ECS: Environmental Control Subsystem
  • EMCS: European Modular Cultivation System
  • EOM: End of Mission (in Greenwich Mean Time)
  • EUE: Experiment Unique Equipment
  • EXPRESS Racks: Expedite the Process of Experiments to Space Station Racks (on the ISS)
  • FEG: Future Exploration Greenhouse
  • FPA: Fluid Processing Apparatus
  • GAP-FPA: Group Activation Pack-Fluid Processing Apparatus
  • GBE: Growing Beyond Earth
  • GC/gc: Ground Control: Often used when labeling assays to define which plant samples were grown on Earth.
  • GCSA: Growth Chamber Structural Assembly
  • GE: Gas Exchange
  • GEMS: Gas Exchange Measurement System
  • GFP: Green Fluorescent Protein (selectable marker)
  • GL4HS: GeneLab for High Schools
  • GN2: Gaseous Nitrogen (N2)
  • GUI: Graphical User Interface (pronounced “gooey”)
  • HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
  • HCU: Humidity Control Unit
  • HDU: Habitat Demonstration Unit
  • HPS Lamp: High Pressure Sodium Lamp
  • HRP: NASA’s Human Research Program
  • ICES: International Conference on Environmental Systems
  • ICM: Isothermal Containment Module (in the CGBA)
  • ISPR: International Standard Payload Rack
  • ISR: In-situ Resources
  • ISRU: In-Situ Resource Utilization
  • ISS: International Space Station
  • KFT: Kennedy Space Center Fixation Tube
  • KSC: Kennedy Space Center
  • LDEF: Long Duration Exposure Facility
  • LDSM: Long Duration Space Mission
  • LED: Light-emitting Diode
  • LEO: Low Earth Orbit
  • LGH: Lunar Greenhouse
  • LiRHiPliSME: Literature Review of Higher Plants in Space for MELiSSA project
  • LMM: Light Microscopy Module (on the ISS)
  • LPGC: Low Pressure Growth Chamber
  • LSDA: NASA’s Life Sciences Data Archive
  • LSSW: Lunar Surface Science Workshop
  • MELiSSA: Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative
  • MLGH: Mars-Lunar Greenhouse
  • MVP: Multi-use Variable G-Platform
  • NCERA: North Central Education Research Activity
  • NDVI: Normalized Difference Vegetative Index
  • NFT: Nutrient Film Technique
  • NL: National Lab
  • NSCORT: NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training
  • NSPIRES: NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System
  • OCAM: Object-oriented CELSS Analysis and Modeling
  • OBC: On-board Computer
  • OES: Orbital Environment Simulator
  • ORAC: Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (to measure antioxidant capacity)
  • ORU: Orbital Replaceable Unit
  • PALACE: Permanent Astrobase Life-support Artificial Closed Ecosystem (i.e. Lunar Palace)
  • PASC: Portable Astroculture Chamber
  • PDA: Power Distribution Assembly
  • PDFU: Petri Dish Fixation Unit
  • PEM: Pressurized Excursion Module
  • PESTO: Photosynthesis Experiment and System Testing and Operation 
  • PEU: Plant Experiment Unit
  • PFPU: Precursor of Food Production Unit
  • PGBA: Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus
  • PGC: Plant Growth Chamber
  • PGF: Plant Growth Facility
  • PGS: Plant Growth System
  • PGU: Plant Growth Unit
  • PH: Plant Habitat
  • PHARMER: Plant Habitat Avionics Realtime Manager in EXPRESS Rack
  • PHMU: Plant Habitat Main Unit
  • PI: Principal Investigator
  • PONDS: Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System
  • PRU: Plant Research Unit
  • PTNDS: Porous Tube Nutrient Delivery System
  • PTIM: Porous Tube Insert Module (for the PGBA)
  • PTMC: Plant The Moon Challenge
  • RBA: Regolith-Based Agriculture
  • RLSS: Regenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS is the more common version)
  • RH: Relative Humidity
  • ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species
  • RUE: Resource Use Efficiency
  • SALAD: Space Agriculture Laboratory Analysis Database
  • SALSA: Space And Life Support Agriculture
  • SABRE: Space Agricultural and Biotechnology Research and Education
  • SABL: Space Automated Bioproduct Lab
  • SDS: Safety Data Sheet
  • SEEDS: Space Exposed Experiment Developed for Students
  • SG: Space Greenhouse (as in, SVET SG)
  • SIMBOX: Science in Microgravity Box
  • SIMoN: Spacefaring Intelligent Modular Nursery
  • SMA: Structural Mounting Assembly
  • SNDS: Substrate Nutrient Delivery System (for use on PGBA)
  • STI: Scientific and Technical Information (NASA)
  • TAGES: Transgenic Arabidopsis Gene Expression System
  • TCS: Thermal Control Subsystem
  • TICTOC: Targeting Improvement in Cotton Through Orbital Cultivation
  • TOAST: Test Of Arabidopsis Space Transcriptome
  • TRL: Technology Readiness Level
  • TROPI: Tropism in Plants
  • TVT: Technology Validation Test
  • USDA’s NIFA: United States Department of Agriculture: National Institute for Food and Agriculture
  • VEGGIE: Vegetable Production System
  • VESGEN: Software Vessel Generation Software
  • VOC: Volatile Organic Compound
  • VPU: Vegetable Production Unit
  • VV: Vegetation Vessel
  • WCSAR: Wisconsin Center for Automation and Space Robotics
  • WONDER: Water Offset Nutrient Delivery ExpeRiment (for use on PGBA)
  • WRADS: Water Recovery And Distribution System
  • XROOTS: eXposed Roots On-Orbit Test System

3.0: References

Version 1 List compiled by Sam Humphrey.

Version History

  • Version 1 | Description: ASOP-0004 page created. | Effective: 30Jun2023
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