Heliospectra Joins Germany's Eden Initiative For Developing Safe Space Station Food Crops

GOTEBORG, Sweden and SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Heliospectra AB (OTCQB: HLSPY, FIRSTNORTH: HELIO), a world leader in intelligent lighting technology for plant research and greenhouse cultivation, has been named one of thirteen partners in an international consortium participating in the EDEN Initiative, a research program from Germany's DLR Institute of Space Systems focused on bio‐regenerative life support systems – greenhouse modules (GHMs), in particular – and technologies for future human‐made space habitats.

EDEN (Evolution and Design of Environmentally-closed Nutrition Sources) is part of a large European Union project that is receiving EUR 4.5M ($5.8 million USD) in grants. 

The overall goal of the EDEN ISS Initiative is the adaptation, integration and demonstration of food plant cultivation technologies and operation procedures for safe food production on-board the International Space Station and for future human space exploration missions. The EDEN ISS Initiative combines different controlled environment agriculture (CEA) technologies within automatic planetary GHMs.

Project planners seek to design, construct and present a first-of-its-kind complete, closed environment GHM that enables safe and controlled crop production in extremely hostile conditions. To demonstrate mission viability, the module will be transported to a remote research station in Antarctica and tested for a one-year period.

"In Antarctica, we will be testing all systems in a space-like mission scenario in order to gain essential knowledge of how to produce food and how to recycle water for astronauts during future missions to destinations like Mars," said Daniel Schubert, project leader of the DLR EDEN ISS research initiative. 

"Collaborating with Heliospectra to develop outer-space-ready CEA lighting systems for the EDEN project helps immensely in our investigation of technologies that can transform concepts for habitats on the moon and Mar into space-proven hardware," Schubert explained.

Heliospectra's role in the project is to create a water-cooled light emitting diode (LED) solution based on the company's renowned expertise in horticulture (the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, flowers and ornamental plants) lighting technology. LEDs are semiconductor devices that emit light when conducting current. 

"There isn't a more interesting and compelling challenge in indoor plant cultivation than safe food production in closed systems like the space station and future human space exploration vehicles," said Heliospectra CEO Staffan Hillberg. "Heliospectra welcomes this opportunity to be a part of the EDEN ISS consortium designing and testing essential technologies for potential use in space. This is yet another example that Heliospectra is driving the evolution of sophisticated plant lighting.  Technologies and solutions like this can later be implemented in our commercial systems."

Heliospectra is known for developing and marketing "intelligent" LED lighting solutions for food crop science and horticulture applications. What makes Heliospectra technology unique is that based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology, it combines sensors – which monitor the condition of plants and how they use the light – with state-of-the-art software that controls the lighting. This complete biofeedback system is protected by a portfolio of patents and patents pending.

Heliospectra's premier product is its patented, energy-efficient LX60 Series LED system. The LX60 is the most sophisticated, modular LED lamp available for commercial and R&D grow operations worldwide. The LX60 is wi-fi enabled, allowing for online monitoring, scheduling and control. Among other features, external sensors and software can be added to the system.

DLR (German Aerospace Centre)/ EDEN ISS  — DLR's Institute of Space Systems (DLR-RY) has the aim to investigate and evaluate complex astronautic systems in the context of space research with consideration of technological, economical as well as socio-political aspects. The dynamic team of employees at the institute develops space missions on national and international levels. The EDEN ISS consortium will design and test essential CEA technologies using an International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) cultivation system for potential testing on-board the International Space Station. Furthermore, a Future Exploration Greenhouse (FEG) will be designed with respect to future planetary bio-regenerative life support systems (BLSS) deployments. The technologies will be tested in a laboratory environment as well as at the highly-isolated Antarctic Neumayer Station III, operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute. The EDEN ISS consortium is comprised of the following leading European experts in the domain of human spaceflight and controlled environment agriculture (CEA), in no particular order: German Aerospace Center (DLR), Liquifier Systems Group, The Italian National Research Council (CNR), University of Guelph, Alfred Wegener Institute, EnginSoft S.p.A., Airbus DS Gmbh, Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.A., Aero Sekur S.p.A., Wageningen UR - Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek (DLO), Heliospectra AB, Limerick Institute of Technology and Telespazio S.p.A.

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Heliospectra AB, Box 5401, SE-402 29, Goteborg, Sweden

Heliospectra AB (publ - listed on NASDAQ OMX First North HELIO ISIN SE0005933082 as well as North American ADR OTCQB: HLSPY Cusip: 423281104) Founded in 2006 and specializing in intelligent lighting technology for plant research and greenhouse cultivation. Heliospectra products are based on in-depth knowledge in plant physiology and photosynthesis along with a unique way to utilize modern LED technology. After six years of development in Sweden, the company has now begun to expand into the international market. The company has raised more than $ 15 million in venture capital and has received more than $2.6 million through academic scholarships and grants. It has also received numerous awards for its forward thinking technology. Principal owners: Industrial Fund www.industrifonden.se,Midroc www.midroc.se;,Weland Steel www.welandstal.se;Wood & Hill Investment www.woodhillinvestment.com. 

SOURCE Heliospectra AB