Development of the Plant Research Unit for Use on Space Station

The Plant Research Unit (PRU) is currently under development by the Space Station Biological Research Project (SSBRP) at Ames Research Center and is scheduled to be launched in 2001. The PRU plant growth chamber will be capable of providing a controlled environment for conducting experiments in microgravity. The habitat will be designed to support specimens in all stages of growth, including seeds, plant tissues, and whole plants. The goal of the project is to provide a controlled environment that can support seed-to-seed and other plant experiments for up to 90 days.