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Meet: Yuliy Berkovich
Russian Scientist
Who I am and what I do for KSC
Hi my name is Yuliy Berkovich and I'm a Russian scientist working here
at the Kennedy Space Center for one year as an invited Senior Researcher.
I am here to investigate primarily a new root delivery system for the
future space greenhouse. My task is to build the system containing a Fibrous
Ion Exchange Resin Substrate instead of the usual soil for my crops and
an automatic watering  system,
which will be able to maintain an appropriate moisture level in the substrate
for the root's requirements. You can see to the left the system
inside a small automatic growth chamber, which looks like a simple refrigerator.
This chamber can control a number of environmental parameters including
light intensity and photoperiods, air humidity and temperature. Chinese
cabbage is growing on a porous tubes wrapped in artificial soil under
the fluorescent lamps. Root delivery system contains peristaltic pumps,
solenoid valves, electronic balances and laptop PC. We can change water
doze volume and frequency of the pumping. The main distinction between
this system and other systems is the periodic pumping of water from the
substrate for root ventilation or aeration. I work in close collaboration
with my American colleagues at KSC and I enjoy this contact. I'm sure
that our collaboration is a good way to accelerate our common investigations
in this area and a great possibility to study new techniques and new methodologies
in USA and Russia.
My Career Journey
I have an engineering degree from Moscow Aviation Institute, and a degree
in mathematics from Moscow State University. My Ph.D. degree I received
in 1977 from the Institute
of Biomedical problems in Moscow. My primary field of interest is
Closed Ecological Life Support Systems and their components for plant
growth. I was one of the authors of the Russian-Bulgarian space greenhouse
"Svet" which had flown on the Mir Space Station for 10 years. I'm currently
the head of the Advanced Life Support subdivision at the Institute of
Biomedical Problems in Moscow. Our primary goal is to develop a greenhouse,
which could continuously supply the crews of the International Space Station
with vitamin rich salads.
From the pictures you can see a few of our designs
of the space greenhouses
 Conveyor
greenhouse "Phytocycle". You can see the picture on the left the leafy
greens are growing on the cylindrical sowing surface under fluorescent
lamps. Every 3 days the greenhouse gave about 250 grams of fresh salad
inside the Russian Space Shuttle, which had been named "Buran".
Click here for better view of Phytocycle
 On
the picture to the right you will see a space greenhouse prototype "Vitocycle".
This greenhouse also has a cylindrical planting surface and can give 450
g of fresh salad every 3 days. This apparatus uses technologies appropriate
to weightlessness conditions. It has an air conditioner, water separator,
water filters and a special root delivery system to feed the plants.
Click here for better view of Vitocycle
Personal Information
My family and I are from Moscow. My older son Alex is a Geological Engineer
and has moved to the United States, however, my younger son Peter still
lives with my wife in Moscow. My personal interests are cross country
skiing, jogging, and mountain climbing.
Advice
My advice to the students is to work hard in everything you do and some
day you dedication to you studies will pay off. Hard work is not easy
but it is very rewarding when you finish. Good Luck!
Archived Chats
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