scholarly journals Use of Photobioreactors in Regenerative Life Support Systems for Human Space Exploration

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Fahrion ◽  
Felice Mastroleo ◽  
Claude-Gilles Dussap ◽  
Natalie Leys
Keyword(s):  
Life Support ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Space Exploration ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Life Support Systems ◽  
Microgravity Conditions ◽  
Human Space Exploration

There are still many challenges to overcome for human space exploration beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) (e.g., to the Moon) and for long-term missions (e.g., to Mars). One of the biggest problems is the reliable air, water and food supply for the crew. Bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) aim to overcome these challenges using bioreactors for waste treatment, air and water revitalization as well as food production. In this review we focus on the microbial photosynthetic bioprocess and photobioreactors in space, which allow removal of toxic carbon dioxide (CO2) and production of oxygen (O2) and edible biomass. This paper gives an overview of the conducted space experiments in LEO with photobioreactors and the precursor work (on ground and in space) for BLSS projects over the last 30 years. We discuss the different hardware approaches as well as the organisms tested for these bioreactors. Even though a lot of experiments showed successful biological air revitalization on ground, the transfer to the space environment is far from trivial. For example, gas-liquid transfer phenomena are different under microgravity conditions which inevitably can affect the cultivation process and the oxygen production. In this review, we also highlight the missing expertise in this research field to pave the way for future space photobioreactor development and we point to future experiments needed to master the challenge of a fully functional BLSS.

scholarly journals Integrated Pest Management Protocols for Space-Based Bioregenerative Life Support Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Schuerger
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Pest Management ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Life Support Systems ◽  
Bioregenerative Life Support

Human missions to the Moon and Mars will necessarily increase in both duration and complexity over the coming decades. In the past, short-term missions to low-Earth orbit (LEO) or the Moon (e.g., Apollo) utilized physiochemical life support systems for the crews. However, as the spatial and temporal durations of crewed missions to other planetary bodies increase, physiochemical life support systems become burdened with the requirement of frequent resupply missions. Bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) have been proposed to replace much of the resupply required of physiochemical systems with modules that can regenerate water, oxygen, and food stocks with plant-based biological production systems. In order to protect the stability and productivity of BLSS modules (i.e., small scale units) or habitats (i.e., large scale systems), an integrated pest management (IPM) program is required to prevent, mitigate, and eliminate both insect pests and disease outbreaks in space-based plant-growing systems. A first-order BLSS IPM program is outlined herein that summarizes a collection of protocols that are similar to those used in field, greenhouse, and vertical-farming agricultural systems. However, the space environment offers numerous unusual stresses to plants, and thus, unique space-based IPM protocols will have to be developed. In general, successful operation of space-based BLSS units will be guided by IPM protocols that (1) should be established early in the mission design phase to be effective, (2) will be dynamic in nature changing both spatially and temporally depending on the successional processes afoot within the crewed spacecraft, plant-growing systems, and through time; and (3) can prevent insect/phytopathology outbreaks at very high levels that can approach 100% if properly implemented.

Жизнеобеспечение экипажа пилотируемого космического объекта, проблемы управления

2019 ◽  
pp. 109-120
Author(s):  
Boris F. ZARETSKIY ◽  
Arkadiy S. GUZENBERG ◽  
Igor A. SHANGIN
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Space Missions ◽  
Automated System ◽  
Deep Space ◽  
Automated Control ◽  
Life Support Systems ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Space Life Support

Life support for first manned spaceflights was based on supplies of consumables. Crew life support systems based on supplies of water and oxygen, in spite of their simplicity, are extremely inefficient in orbital space missions and are unfeasible in deep space missions because of mass and volume constraints. Therefore, there are currently developed and are to be used on space stations the life support systems that are based on chemical and physical regeneration of water and oxygen extracted from human waste. In view of further advances in long-duration orbital stations, and the prospects of establishment of planetary outposts and deep space exploration, the problem of constructing an automated system for controlling a suite of regenerative LSS becomes urgent. The complexity of solving the problem of constructing an efficient control system in this case owes to the existence of a large number of effectiveness criteria. The paper proposes a system of consolidated global efficiency criteria, which allows to break up this problem into a series of sub-problems of optimization in order to solve this problem. The proposed criteria are longevity, cost, comfort. The paper presents a series of specific examples of using the proposed principles with necessary generalizations. Key words: space life support systems, atmosphere revitalization equipment, automated control system, global generalized efficiency criteria, longevity, cost, comfort.

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