NASA's Interests in Bioregenerative Life Support and the Path to Mars
A review of NASA's bioregenerative life support research will be presented along with testing related to Mars greenhouse or plant growth systems.
Wheeler, Raymond M.↗
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NASA's Interests in Bioregenerative Life Support
An overview of NASA's research in bioregenerative life support will be presented to a college class at the University of Guelph. The talk will review the use of plants for the production of food, oxygen and CO2 removal for life support systems for future space travel.
Wheeler, Raymond M.↗
Bioregenerative Life Support for Humans in Space
To date, human life support in space has been achieved through physico-chemical methods along with stowage and resupply. But biological approaches could be used as well, such as growing plants (crops) to produce oxygen and food, while removing carbon dioxide generated by the humans. The plants and their associated microbiome could also be used to help recycle wastewater. These so-called bioregenerative approaches for human life support become more favorable as mission durations and distances increase. For example, a baseline mission to Mars would require about 3 years, including transit time to and from Mars, and living on the surface. For these and longer durations missions, life support approaches will need to be highly closed and sustainable, with minimal mass and power requirements. Based on testing by NASA and other space agencies around the world, about 20-25 m2 of crops could provide the oxygen needs for one human, while about 50 m2 of crops could provide the food(dietary calories) for one person. But this is dependent on lighting provided to the crops and optimizing the agricultural practices. In many ways, these goals for space agriculture have similar challenges to sustainable agriculture and living on Earth. The talk will review some of NASA’s research on biological life support and its potential for future space exploration.
Life Support↗
Development of Bioregenerative Life Support for Longer Missions: When Can Plants Begin to Contribute to Atmospheric Management?
Through photosynthesis, plants can be used to generate oxygen and food for life support in human exploration of space. Initial contributions of plants to life support would likely occur through the production of supplemental, fresh foods. For plants to provide significant contributions to oxygen production, larger areas and significant lighting would be needed. An area of 10 m2 of plants with moderate lighting could provide about 13 of a human's oxygen needs. As mission distances and durations increase, plant growing areas could be expanded to assume more of the human life support needs.
oxygen production↗
NASA’s Interests in Bioregenerative Life Support
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Bioregenerative↗
Growth of Hydrogenomonas eutropha in urine for application to a bioregenerative life- support system
Nutrition, physiology, and culture characteristics of Hydrogenomonas eutropha in urine
Dittman, J. B.↗
Utilization of potatoes in bioregenerative life support systems
Data on the tuberization, harvest index, and morphology of 2 cvs of white potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown at 12, 16, 20, 24 and 28 C, 250, 400 and 550 micromol/s/m photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), 350, 1000 and 1600 microliter 1 sup -1 CO2 is presented. A productivity of 21.9 g/m day sup -1 of edible tubers from a solid stand of potatoes grown for 15 weeks with continuous irradiation at 400 micromol/s/m, 16 C and 1000 microliter 1 sup -1 CO2 was obtained. This equates to an area of 34.3 sq m being required to provide 2800 kcal of potatoes per day for a human diet. Separated plants receiving side lighting have produced 32.8 g/m day sup -1 which equates to an area of 23.6 sq m to provide 2800 kcal. Studies with side lighting indicate that productivities in this range should be realized from potatoes. Glycoalkaloid levels in tubers of controlled environment grown plants are within the range of levels found in tubers of field grown plants. The use and limitation of recirculating solution cultures for potato growth is discussed.
Tibbitts, T. W.↗
Engineering sciences design. Design and implementation of components for a bioregenerative system for growing higher order plants in space
The primary goal was to address specific needs in the design of an integrated system to grow higher plants in space. With the needs defined, the emphasis was placed on the design and fabrication of devices to meet these needs. Specific attention was placed on a hand-held harvester, a nutrient concentration sensor, an air-water separator, and a closed-loop biological system simulation.
Nevill, Gale E., Jr.↗
Implementation of Sensor and Control Designs for Bioregenerative Systems
The goal of the Spring 1990 EGM 4001 Design class was to design, fabricate, and test sensors and control systems for a closed loop life support system (CLLSS). The designs investigated were to contribute to the development of NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Designs included a seed moisture content sensor, a porous medium wetness sensor, a plant health sensor, and a neural network control system. The seed group focused on the design and implementation of a sensor that could detect the moisture content of a seed batch. The porous medium wetness group concentrated on the development of a sensor to monitor the amount of nutrient solution within a porous plate incorporating either infrared reflectance or thermal conductance properties. The plant health group examined the possibility of remotely monitoring the health of the plants within the Biomass Production Chamber (BPC) using infrared reflectance properties. Finally, the neural network group concentrated on the ability to use parallel processing in order to control a robot arm and analyze the data from the health sensor to detect regions of a plant.
Rodriguez, Pedro R.↗
Implementation of sensor and control designs for bioregenerative systems
The EGM 4000/4001 Engineering Design class is an interdisciplinary design course that allows students to experience the design process. The projects involved the design of sensors and subsystems of a closed-loop life support system (CLLSS) with special emphasis on the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) currently being developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) by NASA. To understand the work performed by the students, one must understand the purpose and concept of a CLLSS system. In the years to come, NASA will be constructing Moon bases and sending astronauts to other worlds on extended space missions. In order to support the crews, unreasonably large quantities of supplies would have to be sent from Earth. These supplies would be difficult to transport and require large holds. To remedy this problem, NASA plans to incorporate crops into the spacecraft. These crops would supply food for the crews, as well as provide beneficial psychological side effects. In addition, the plants would recycle the air and human waste and provide oxygen and water for the humans. The students in the design class were to work on supporting this project. In order to do this successfully, the course was separated into two phases. The first semester involved studying the various aspects of a CLLSS to determine sensing needs and develop ideas. The second semester involved first determining which of the ideas were most promising. Specific sensors were then designed and tested under laboratory conditions with promising results. Finally, recommendations for further development were proposed. Atmosphere and temperature control, nutrient delivery, plant health and propagation, and resource recycling are discussed.
Source record↗
Monitoring and control technologies for bioregenerative life support systems/CELSS
The development of a controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) will require NASA to develop innovative monitoring and control technologies to operate the different components of the system. Primary effort over the past three to four years has been directed toward the development of technologies to operate a biomass production module. Computer hardware and software required to operate, collect, and summarize environmental data for a large plant growth chamber facility were developed and refined. Sensors and controls required to collect information on such physical parameters as relative humidity, temperature, irradiance, pressure, and gases in the atmosphere; and PH, dissolved oxygen, fluid flow rates, and electrical conductivity in the nutrient solutions are being developed and tested. Technologies required to produce high artificial irradiance for plant growth and those required to collect and transport natural light into a plant growth chamber are also being evaluated. Significant effort was directed towards the development and testing of a membrane nutrient delivery system required to manipulate, seed, and harvest crops, and to determine plant health prior to stress impacting plant productivity are also being researched. Tissue culture technologies are being developed for use in management and propagation of crop plants. Though previous efforts have focussed on development of technologies required to operate a biomass production module for a CELSS, current efforts are expanding to include technologies required to operate modules such as food preparation, biomass processing, and resource (waste) recovery which are integral parts of the CELSS.
Knott, William M.↗
Bioregenerative life support - The initial CELSS reference configuration
The next major step in the development of an operational Controlled Ecological Life-Support System (CELSS) is the creation of a human-rated ground-based demonstrator able to constitute a CELSS's proof-of-concept. The reference configuration recently devised for such a ground facility by NASA will furnish a common reference to all investigators in the field, thereby facilitating performance comparisons among candidate subsystems and clarifying system-level modeling. A detailed NASA reference CELSS flowcharting is presented.
Rummel, John D.↗
Lunar base CELSS: A bioregenerative approach
During the twenty-first century, human habitation of a self-sustaining lunar base could become a reality. To achieve this goal, the occupants will have to have food, water, and an adequate atmosphere within a carefully designed environment. Advanced technology will be employed to support terrestrial life-sustaining processes on the Moon. One approach to a life support system based on food production, waste management and utilization, and product synthesis is outlined. Inputs include an atmosphere, water, plants, biodegradable substrates, and manufacutured materials such as fiberglass containment vessels from lunar resources. Outputs include purification of air and water, food, and hydrogen (H2) generated from methane (CH4). Important criteria are as follows: (1) minimize resupply from Earth; and (2) recycle as efficiently as possible.
Easterwood, G. W.↗
Alternative Processes for Water Reclamation and Solid Waste Processing in a Physical/chemical Bioregenerative Life Support System
Viewgraphs on alternative processes for water reclamation and solid waste processing in a physical/chemical-bioregenerative life support system are presented. The main objective is to focus attention on emerging influences of secondary factors (i.e., waste composition, type and level of chemical contaminants, and effects of microorganisms, primarily bacteria) and to constructively address these issues by discussing approaches which attack them in a direct manner.
Rogers, Tom D.↗
Plant canopy transpiration in bioregenerative life support systems - The link between mechanistic and empirical models
A model of water transpiration in a plant canopy that combines two approaches is presented. The first approach is to account for underlying physical processes, while the second is to empirically incorporate transpiration data now being generated at the Johnson Center Variable Pressure Growth Chamber. The two approaches, physical modeling and data analysis, make it possible to produce a model that is more robust than either the standard first-principles model or a straightforward empirical model. It is shown that the present transpiration model is able to efficiently capture the dynamic behavior of the plant canopy over the entire range of environmental parameters now envisioned to be important in an operating controlled ecological life support system (CELSS). Examples of the use of this model in assessing plant canopy dynamics and CELSS design options are also presented.
Sirko, Robert J.↗
Design and implementation of components for a bioregenerative system for growing higher order plants in space
This report summarizes the efforts of the NASA/USRA Advanced Design Program during the 1988-89 scholastic year. The primary goal was to address specific needs in the design of an integrated system to grow higher order plants in space. The initial phase of the design effort concentrated on studying such a system and identifying its needs. Once these needs were defined, emphasis was placed on the design and fabrication of devices to meet them. Specific attention was placed on a hand-held harvester, a nutrient concentration sensor, an air-water separator, and a closed-loop biological system simulation.
Brakman, B.↗
Bioregenerative life support systems for microgravity
NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) project centers on growing plants and recycling wastes in space. The current version of the biomass production chamber (BPC) uses a hydroponic system for nutrient delivery. To optimize plant growth and conserve system resources, the content of the nutrient solution which feeds the plants must be constantly monitored. The macro-nutrients (greater than ten ppm) in the solution include nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulphur; the micro-nutrients (less than ten ppm) include iron, copper, manganese, zinc, and boron. The goal of this project is to construct a computer-controlled system of ion detectors that will accurately measure the concentrations of several necessary ions in solution. The project focuses on the use of a sensor array to eliminate problems of interference and temperature dependence.
Nevill, Gail E., Jr.↗
Bioregenerative system components for microgravity
The goal of the class was to design, fabricate, and test prototype designs that were independent, yet applicable to a Closed Loop Life Support System. The three prototypes chosen were in the areas of agar plant growth, regnerative filtration, and microgravity food preparation. The plant growth group designed a prototype agar medium growth system that incorporates nutrient solution replenishment and post-harvest refurbishment. In addition, the unit emphasizes material containment and minimization of open interfaces. The second project was a filter used in microgravity that has the capability to clean itself. The filters are perforated plates which slide through a duct and are cleaned outside of the flow with a vacuum system. The air in the duct is prevented from flowing outside of the duct by a network of sliding seals. The food preparation group developed a device which dispenses and mixes ingredients and then cooks the mixture in microgravity. The dry ingredients are dispensed from a canister by a ratchet-operated piston. The wet ingredients are dispensed from plastic bags through tubing attached to a syringe. Once inside the mixing chamber, the ingredients are mixed using a collapsible whisk and then pushed into the cooking device.
Nevill, Gale E., Jr.↗