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At least 163 records · Page 9

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NASA NTRS1992

The CELSS Test Facility Project - An example of a CELSS flight experiment system

The design of the facility is described in terms of its use as an investigation tool for evaluating crop growth in space with reference to required emerging technologies. NASA's CELSS Test Facility (CTF) is designed to permit the measurement of crop-plant productivity under microgravity conditions including biomass production, food production, water transpiration, and O2/CO2 exchanges. Crucial hardware tests and qualifications are identified to assure the operation of CTF technologies in space including the nutrient-delivery, water-condensation, and gas-liquid-mixing subsystems. The design concept and related scientific requirements are described and shown to provide microgravity crop research. The CTF is expected to provide data for plant research and for concepts for bioregenerative life-support systems for applications to Martian, lunar, and space-station missions.

Macelroy, R. D.↗

NASA NTRS1990

CELSS research and development program

Research in Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) conducted by NASA indicate that plant based systems are feasible candidates for human support in space. Ames has responsibility for research and development, systems integration and control, and space flight experiment portions of the CELSS program. Important areas for development of new methods and technologies are biomass production, waste processing, water purification, air revitalization, and food processing. For the plant system, the approach was to identify the flexibility and response time for the food, water, and oxygen production, and carbon dioxide consumption processes. Tremendous increases in productivity, compared with terrestrial agriculture, were realized. Waste processing research emphasizes recycle (transformation) of human wastes, trash, and inedible biomass to forms usable as inputs to the plant production system. Efforts to improve efficiency of the plant system, select new CELSS crops for a balanced diet, and initiate closed system research with the Crop Growth Research Chambers continue. The System Control and Integration program goal is to insure orchestrated system operation of the biological, physical, and chemical operation of the biological, physical, and chemical component processors of the CELSS. Space flight studies are planned to verify adequate operation of the system in reduced gravity or microgravity environments.

Bubenheim, David↗

NASA NTRS1994

The controlled ecological life support system Antarctic analog project: Analysis of wastewater from the South Pole Station, Antarctica, volume 1

The Controlled Ecological Life Support system (CELSS) Antarctic Analog Project (CAAP) is a joint National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA project for the development, deployment and operation of CELSS technologies at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. NASA goals are operational testing of CELSS technologies and the conduct of scientific studies to facilitate technology selection and system design. The NSF goals are that the food production, water purification, and waste treatment capabilities which will be provided by CAAP will improve the quality of life for the South Pole inhabitants, reduce logistics dependence, and minimize environmental impacts associated with human presence on the polar plateau. This report presents an analysis of wastewater samples taken from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica. The purpose of the work is to develop a quantitative understanding of the characteristics of domestic sewage streams at the South Pole Station. This information will contribute to the design of a proposed plant growth/waste treatment system which is part of the CELSS Antarctic Analog Project (CAAP).

Flynn, Michael T.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Validating Vegetable Production Unit (VPU) Plants, Protocols, Procedures and Requirements (P3R) using Currently Existing Flight Resources

Validating Vegetable Production Unit (VPU) Plants, Protocols, Procedures and Requirements (P3R) Using Currently Existing Flight Resources (Lada-VPU-P3R) is a study to advance the technology required for plant growth in microgravity and to research related food safety issues. Lada-VPU-P3R also investigates the non-nutritional value to the flight crew of developing plants on-orbit. The Lada-VPU-P3R uses the Lada hardware on the ISS and falls under a cooperative agreement between National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Russian Federal Space Association (FSA). Research Summary: Validating Vegetable Production Unit (VPU) Plants, Protocols, Procedures and Requirements (P3R) Using Currently Existing Flight Resources (Lada-VPU-P3R) will optimize hardware and

Bingham, Gail↗

NASA NTRS2011

VEGGIE Pillow Testing: Microbial Analysis of Cut-and-Come-Again Species Testing

With NASA focused on researching and developing technology for deep space missions, the need for a reliable supplementary food source must also be considered. For the ISS, resupplying the food source is more practical and cost effect since the facility is in low Earth orbit. However, as NASA attempts to push the frontier in space, the costs and distance for resupply will surely increase. Plants would contribute to the proportion of food and reduce the dependency on food from Earth. In addition, plants would provide oxygen production, carbon dioxide removal, and psychological benefits. As a result, a vegetable production system, VEGGIE, was developed for NASA to produce salad crops with minimal resources and study the beneficial effects. The VEGGIE pillow is a single use bag for growing crops that is used with the VEGGIE hardware. The VEGGIE pillow was tested with four different species of plants with the cut-and-come-again harvest method to determine the greatest yield. Instead of harvesting the entire plant, the harvest consisted of cutting leaves to allow the plant to regrow leaves. The harvest methods included cutting the plants weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly. A fifth plant species, radishes, was also harvested and replanted. Microbial load analysis and an ANOVA significance test were utilized. The data suggest that the two Brassica plants have the greatest yields; however, the microbial load is also greatest for the two plants per gram of fresh weight. Furthermore, the results support the reuse of pillows for multiple harvests as shown by the replanted radishes.

Nguyen, Bao-Thang↗

NASA NTRS1994

Publications of the NASA Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) program 1989-1992

Publications of research sponsored by the NASA Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) program are listed. The CELSS program encompasses research and technology with the goal of developing an autonomous bioregenerative life support system, which is based upon the integration of biological and physical/chemical processes, that will produce nutritious and palatable food, potable and hygienic water, and a breathable atmosphere by recycling metabolic and other wastes. This research and technology development is being performed in the areas of biomass production/food processing, waste management, and systems management and control. The bibliography follows these divisions. Principal investigators whose research tasks resulted in publication are identified by an asterisk. Publications are identified by a record number corresponding with their entry in the Life Sciences Bibliographic Database, maintained at the George Washington University.

Powers, Janet V.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Life support systems for Mars transit

The structural elements of life-support systems are reviewed in order to assess the suitability of specific features for use during a Mars mission. Life-support requirements are estimated by means of an approximate input/output analysis, and the advantages are listed relating to the use of recycling and regeneration techniques. The technological options for regeneration are presented in categories such as CO2 reduction, organics removal, polishing, food production, and organics oxidation. These data form the basis of proposed mission requirements and constraints as well as the definition of what constitutes an adequate reserve. Regenerative physical/chemical life-support systems are championed based exclusively on the mass savings inherent in the technology. The resiliency and 'soft' failure modes of bioregenerative life-support systems are identified as areas of investigation.

Macelroy, R. D.↗

NASA NTRS1988

A survey of some regenerative physico-chemical life support technology

To date, manned spaceflight has used the relatively simple support methodology of bringing all the necessary water, oxygen, and food for the duration of the mission, and collecting and storing waste products for return to Earth. This is referred to as an open system. It was recognized early, as manned missions became longer and crew size increased, that the weight, volume, and transportation penalties of storing or routinely resupplying consumables would at some point become too expensive. Since the early 1960's regenerative ECLSS technology has been under development, and there now exists a foundation in both systems definition and subsystem technology to support long-duration manned missions. In many cases this development has reached the engineering prototype stage for physico-chemical subsystems and in this article some of these subsystems are described. Emphasis is placed on physico-chemical waste conversion and related processes which provide sustenance and not on environmental factors or subsystems, e.g., temperature and humidity control, spacecraft architecture, lighting, etc.

Wydeven, Theodore↗

NASA NTRS1989

Controlled Ecological Life Support System

The NASA CELLS program is based upon the integration of biological and physiochemical processes in order to produce a system that will produce food, a breathable atmosphere, and potable water from metabolic and other wastes. The CELSS concept is described and a schematic system diagram is provided. Central to the CELSS concept is the Plant Growth Chamber, where green plant photosynthesis produces food, and aids in the production of oxygen and water. Progress to date at the Breadboard Facility at the Kennedy Space Center is summarized. The Breadboard Facility will implement the basic techniques and processes required for a CELSS based on photosynthetic plant growth in a ground-based system of practical size and results will be extrapolated to predict the performance of a full-sized system. Current available technology and near-future forecasts for plant growth techniques (focusing on maximum productivity), food sources (to select optimal CELSS plants), and waste management and contaminant control are discussed.

Averner, Maurice M.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Waste Processing Research and Technology Development at NASA Ames Research Center

The current "store and return" approach for handling waste products generated during low Earth orbit missions will not meet the requirements for future human missions identified in NASA s new Exploration vision. The objective is to develop appropriate reliable waste management systems that minimize maintenance and crew time, while maintaining crew health and safety, as well as providing protection of planetary surfaces. Solid waste management requirements for these missions include waste volume reduction, stabilization and storage, water recovery, and ultimately recovery of carbon dioxide, nutrients and other resources from a fully regenerative food production life support system. This paper identifies the key drivers for waste management technology development within NASA, and provides a roadmap for the developmental sequence and progression of technologies. Recent results of research and technology development activities at NASA Ames Research Center on candidate waste management technologies with emphasis on compaction, lyophilization, and incineration are discussed.

Fisher, John↗

NASA NTRS1991

Cooperative research and development opportunities with the National Cancer Institute

The Office of Technology Development (OTD) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is responsible for negotiating Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), whereby the knowledge resulting from NCI investigators' government-sponsored research is developed in collaboration with universities and/or industry into new products of importance for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The NCI has recently executed a unique 'clinical trials' CRADA and is developing a model agreement based upon it for the development and commercialization of products for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and AIDS. NCI drug screening, preclinical testing, clinical trials, and AIDS program capabilities form the basis for this new technology development/technology transfer vehicle. NCI's extensive drug screening program and 'designer foods' program serve as potential sources of investigational new drugs (INDs) and cancer preventatives. Collaborations between NCI and pharmaceutical companies having the facilities, experience, and expertise necessary to develop INDs into approved drugs available to the public are being encouraged where the companies have proprietary rights to INDs, or where NCI has proprietary rights to INDs and invites companies to respond to a collaborator announcement published in the Federal Register. The joint efforts of the NCI and the chosen collaborator are designed to generate the data necessary to obtain pharmaceutic regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the drugs developed, and thereby make them available to health care providers for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and AIDS.

Sybert, Kathleen↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A New Vision and A More Rational Process Will Advance Space Life Support Through Better Projects

Many space life support assumptions are obviously mistaken but they are generally accepted because they mutually support each other and because they advance a mistaken futuristic vision of closed human ecosystems in space. Many projects have been mistakenly selected to increase life support system closure or reduce launch mass in order to implement this impractical vision. Project members rarely challenge their project’s assumptions and guiding vision. Systems engineering including cost, reliability, risk, and system trade-offs has been very strongly discouraged to prevent rational criticism of these dubious assumptions, the projects, and the ecosystem vision. A more realistic vision can define better near term life support goals and future aspirations that will improve mission support and increase public interest. Given more realistic goals, it will be possible to develop effective technical alternatives, use open rational project selection methods, conduct professional project management, and make swifter progress in the inevitable human advance into space. The current unworkable human space settlement scenario involves moon visits and permanent bases, zero gravity trips to Mars, Mars visits and bases, all leading to extensive human settlements on the moon and Mars. This is unrealistic because the moon and Mars have less than Earth normal gravity and high radiation that can seriously damage human health. A better alternative would use rotating space colonies that produce Earth gravity and are radiation shielded. The attractive fantasy of reproducing terrestrial ecology in space should be replaced by the idea of building a closed system based on advancing technology such as artificial photosynthesis. Past mistaken projects include growing plants for food to replicate terrestrial food sources, recovering small amounts of water from difficult to process waste to achieve high system closure, and using newly designed, lighter, but unreliable hardware to reduce launch mass. The political process supporting the false assumptions, projects, and vision has deliberately prevented the usual systems engineering and cost-benefit analysis. We are going to do much better.

Harry W. Jones↗

NASA NTRS2024

SupportU: Smart UAS Program for the Population by Offering Resources and Tools to the Unhoused

Global warming, challenging economic conditions, the opioid epidemic, and other widespread problems, have impacted people globally, particularly over the past several years. Preventable diseases like the common cold and the effects of heat stroke have become increasingly prevalent due to these issues. It is estimated that 150 million people of the world’s population are unhoused globally, with many dwelling in unsafe and unsanitary conditions while lacking access to basic hygienic items and other essentials. Unsanitary conditions coupled with this lack of access exacerbates and prolongs health problems and harms quality of life. Traditional methods of aid, such as homeless shelters and meal programs, face numerous challenges such as having limited reach and resources. To address these problems, the Smart UAS Program for the Population by Offering Resources and Tools to the Unhoused (SUPPORT U) utilizes Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) to deliver resources to the unhoused and those in need of basic aid, prior to and during extreme temperature conditions, and after natural disasters in rural, suburban, and urban areas. The UA is envisioned to be an autonomous aircraft capable of efficiently distributing essential supplies, including blankets, water, food, and medicine. The UAS fleet relies on advanced navigation and communication technologies to accurately identify unhoused people and efficiently and safely distribute materials to them. This will be done through a machine learning algorithm. By focusing on identified “homeless clusters”, places where unhoused individuals are concentrated, the UAS network increases access to critical resources, thereby helping to mitigate some of the external risks to the health of unhoused individuals. The UA can also be used during crises, such as by transporting supplies to medical tents that are stationed in difficult-to-reach areas suffering from natural disasters.

Samuel Beard↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advanced Information Systems Technology for NASA Earth System Digital Twins (ESDT)

ESA and NASA have both started programs to design and develop Digital Twins of the Earth and/or Earth systems. Organized around interconnected, multi-domain, high-scale modeling capabilities, the three major components of an Earth System Digital Twin are a continuously updated Digital Replica of the Earth System of interest, dynamic Forecasting models, and Impact Assessment capabilities. Earth System Digital Twins integrate diverse Earth and human activity models, continuous observations, and information system capabilities to provide unified, comprehensive representations and predictions that can be utilized for monitoring the health of the Planet, as well as for developing actionable information to support decision making. More generally, Digital Twins will help researchers better understand the fundamental Earth systems that impact everything from wildfires to climate change. This Townhall will first provide a short description of ESA’s, NASA’s and CNES’s current efforts in Digital Twins: • Destination Earth (DestinE) is the first initiative of the European Union to create a Digital Twin of the Earth, particularly focused on weather and climate, and as a coordinated effort between the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), ESA and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). • Additionally, ESA is developing several Digital Twin Earth Precursor Activities to study some of the key scientific and technical challenges associated with building a “Digital Twin Earth”. These include forests, hydrology, Antarctica, food systems, oceans, and climate hot spots Digital Twin prototypes. • NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO)’s Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) Program has started an initiative in Earth System Digital Twins (ESDT), with 14 current projects in this area, developing various information systems technologies and prototypes that will help prepare the development of future NASA Digital Twins. • CNES is currently developing the concept of a Digital Twin Factory (DTF), which relies on a data lake, a high computing capability using clouds and/or HPC and has thematic algorithms and methodologies able to generate registered and coherent layers of information in order to enrich a datacube from which physical indicators can be computed spatially. NASA, ESA and CNES are also currently defining science use cases that will be presented during the townhall; those and a few short discussions of current projects will serve as a starting point to engage a dialogue about Digital Twins of the Earth with the IGARSS community.

earth science remote sensing; Information systems↗

NASA NTRS2023

Rising to the Challenge: Producing and Sustaining a Nutrient-Dense and Climate-Resilient Food Basket for All

Rapidly destabilizing climatic and other biophysical conditions, competition for natural resources, geopolitical conflicts, and market pressures will continue to impose constraints and shocks to the food system, the greatest impacts of which will be felt by nutritionally vulnerable populations. Creating a just, nutritious, and sustainable food system that feeds the world requires a paradigm shift on where, what, and how we grow food while ensuring equitable channels of distribution. Moving forward, we must generate new science, reorient policies, and invest in a suite of environmental, technological, and sociocultural transformations from farm to fork.

Food supply↗

NASA NTRS2011

Advanced Life Support Technologies and Scenarios

As NASA looks beyond the International Space Station toward long-duration, deep space missions away from Earth, the current practice of supplying consumables and spares will not be practical nor affordable. New approaches are sought for life support and habitation systems that will reduce dependency on Earth and increase mission sustainability. To reduce launch mass, further closure of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) beyond the current capability of the ISS will be required. Areas of particular interest include achieving higher degrees of recycling within Atmosphere Revitalization, Water Recovery and Waste Management Systems. NASA is currently investigating advanced carbon dioxide reduction processes that surpass the level of oxygen recovery available from the Sabatier Carbon Dioxide Reduction Assembly (CRA) on the ISS. Improving the efficiency of the recovery of water from spacecraft solid and liquid wastes is possible through use of emerging technologies such as the heat melt compactor and brine dewatering systems. Another significant consumable is that of food. Food production systems based on higher plants may not only contribute significantly to the diet, but also contribute to atmosphere revitalization, water purification and waste utilization. Bioreactors may be potentially utilized for wastewater and solid waste management. The level at which bioregenerative technologies are utilized will depend on their comparative requirements for spacecraft resources including mass, power, volume, heat rejection, crew time and reliability. Planetary protection requirements will need to be considered for missions to other solar system bodies.

Barta, Daniel J.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Preparation Methods: past and Potential Methods of Food Preparation for Space

The logical progression of development of space food systems during the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Shuttle programs is outlined. The preparation methods which include no preparation to heating, cooling and freezing are reviewed. The introduction of some new and exciting technological advances is proposed, which should result in a system providing crew members with appetizing, safe, nutritious and convenient food.

Huber, C. S.↗

NASA NTRS2006

NASA's Plans for Developing Life Support and Environmental Monitoring and Control Systems

Life Support and Monitoring have recently been reworked in response to the Vision for Space Exploration. The Exploration Life Support (ELS) Project has replaced the former Advanced Life Support Element of the Human Systems Research and Technology Office. Major differences between the two efforts include: the separation of thermal systems into a new stand alone thermal project, deferral of all work in the plant biological systems, relocation of food systems to another organization, an addition of a new project called habitation systems, and overall reduction in the number of technology options due to lower funding. The Advanced Environmental Monitoring and Control (AEMC) Element is retaining its name but changing its focus. The work planned in the ELS and AEMC projects is organized around the three major phases of the Exploration Program. The first phase is the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). The ELS and AEMC projects will develop hardware for this short duration orbital and trans-lunar vehicle. The second phase is sortie landings on the moon. Life support hardware for lunar surface access vehicles including upgrades of the CEV equipment and technologies which could not be pursued in the first phase due to limited time and budget will be developed. Monitoring needs will address lunar dust issues, not applicable to orbital needs. The ELS and AEMC equipment is of short duration, but has different environmental considerations. The third phase will be a longer duration lunar outpost. This will consist of a new set of hardware developments better suited for long duration life support and associated monitoring needs on the lunar surface. The presentation will show the planned activities and technologies that are expected to be developed by the ELS and AEMC projects for these program phases.

Lawson, B. Michael↗