A crewed mission to and from Mars may include an exciting array of enabling biotechnologies that leverage inherent mass, power, and volume advantages over traditional abiotic approaches. In this perspective, we articulate the scientific and engineering goals and constraints, along with example systems, that guide the design of a surface biomanufactory. Extending past arguments for exploiting stand-alone elements of biology, we argue for an integrated biomanufacturing plant replete with modules for microbial in situ resource utilization, production, and recycling of food, pharmaceuticals, and biomaterials required for sustaining future intrepid astronauts. We also discuss aspirational technology trends in each of these target areas in the context of human and robotic exploration missions.
We present GPS velocities in Kashmir valley and adjoining regions from continuous Global Positioning System (cGPS) network during 2008 to 2019. Results indicate total arc normal shortening rates of ~ 14 mm/year across this transect of Himalaya that is comparable to the rates of ~ 10 to 20 mm/year reported else-where in the 2500 km Himalaya Arc. For the first time in Himalayas, arc-parallel extension rate of ~ 7 mm/year was recorded in the Kashmir valley, pointing to oblique deformation. Inverse modeling of the contemporary deformation rates in Kashmir valley indicate oblique slip of ~ 16 mm/year along the decollement with locking depth of ~ 15 km and width of ~ 145 km. This result is consistent with the recorded micro-seismicity and low velocity layer at a depth of 12 to 16 km beneath the Kashmir valley obtained from collocated broadband seismic network. Geodetic strain rates are consistent with the dislocation model and micro-seismic activity, with high strain accumulation (~ 7e−08 maximum compression) to the north of Kashmir valley and south of Zanskar ranges. Assuming the stored energy was fully released during 1555 earthquake, high geodetic strain rate since then and observed micro-seismicity point to probable future large earthquakes of Mw ~ 7.7 in Kashmir seismic gap.
A crewed mission to and from Mars may include an exciting array of enabling biotechnologies that leverage inherent mass, power, and volume advantages over traditional abiotic approaches. In this perspective, we articulate the scientific and engineering goals and constraints, along with example systems, that guide the design of a surface biomanufactory. Extending past arguments for exploiting stand-alone elements of biology, we argue for an integrated biomanufacturing plant replete with modules for microbial \textit{in situ} resource utilization, production, and recycling of food, pharmaceuticals, and biomaterials required for sustaining future intrepid astronauts. We also discuss aspirational technology trends in each of these target areas in the context of human and robotic exploration missions in the coming century.
An integrated microalgal biorefinery is desirable from an economic standpoint but challenging to synthesize, due to diversity of options. This work uses a model‐based optimization approach to address this challenge in a systematic manner. A superstructure of the integrated biorefinery is developed where biodiesel is considered as the main product, while polar lipid, protein, and carbohydrate are also processed to various value‐added compounds. Mass balances, equipment capacity limitations, and cost functions corresponding to these processes constitute the constraints of the optimization problem. The decision variables include the process synthesis as well as process scheduling and operations‐related decisions. A Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model was developed to minimize the net annualized life cycle cost (ALCC) of the biorefinery. For a scenario of 30 Mg/d production target of biodiesel, with no intermediate storage between the stages, the superstructure yielded an optimal biodiesel production cost of US$8.53/L and reduced sugar was selected as a co‐product. Several cases were analyzed in terms of the decision making of the process on the upstream and downstream levels, as well as variations in scheduling strategies. Co‐cultivation of the phototrophic and heterotrophic strains resulted in net ALCC of US$7.66/L, which was 10.2% less than the base case. Batch scheduling with various strategies were also investigated and the case with infinite intermediate storage coupled with debottlenecking reduced the net ALCC by 25% to US$6.4/L. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
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