CULTIVATION OF PLANTS IN SPACE GREENHOUSE VITATSIKL-T AS AN INFLUENCE ON MICROBIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT OF HABITABLE SPACE COMPLEXES

The paper presents the results of studying microbial colonization of the interior and air circulating inside conveyor-type space greenhouse (SG) Vitatsikl-T in the course of Chinese cabbage cultivation. Crop cultivation did not change noticeably the microbial contamination of air passing through SG or the chamber interior. Number of microorganisms did not exceed the allowable limits established for the air and internal surfaces of habitable spacecraft environment. The dominating species were gram-positive bacteria of classes Actinomycetia and Bacilli, microscopic fungi of genus Penicillium and yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Number of bacteria and fungi in the artificial soil reached 108 and 106 CFU/100 сm2, respectively. Microbial association in the artificial soil consisted largely of gamma- and beta-proteobacteria, as well as plant-associated bacteria Paenibacillus provencensis and microscopic fungi Trichoderma hamatum. Considering that the microbial contamination limits (GOST R 50804-95) were exceeded and that the species composition did not contain species from 4 groups of pathogens (Sanitary standard SP 3.3686-21), we assume that SG Vitatsikl-T will not compromise ecological safety of habitable spacecraft modules.