Assessment of the possibility of establishing material cycling in an experimental model of the bio-technical life support system with plant and human wastes included in mass exchange

Tikhomirov, Alexander A.; Ushakova, Sofya; Velichko, V. V.; Тихомирова, Н. А.; Kudenko, Yu.A.; Gribovskaya, I. V.; Gros, Jean‐Bernard; Lasseur, Ch.

doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2010.10.005

Cited by 35 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The most efficient results were obtained by using supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) in which up to 98% of all organic matter could be broken down (Hendrickx and Mergeay, 2007;Zhang et al, 2018). Hydrogen peroxide was used as an oxidizer in these tests, which is a compound that can be generated within a BLSS loop (Tikhomirov et al, 2011;Vijapur et al, 2017;Nelson et al, 2020). Nevertheless, it is safe to assume that, in reality, there will always be some level of material loss in any BLSS loop.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stoichiometric model of a fully closed bioregenerative life support system for autonomous long-duration space missions

Vermeulen

Papic²,

Nikolič

et al. 2023

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

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Bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) are vital for long-duration and remote space missions to increase mission sustainability. These systems break down human waste materials into nutrients and CO2 for plants and other edible organisms, which in turn provide food, fresh water, and oxygen for astronauts. The central idea is to create a materially closed loop, which can significantly reduce mission mass and volume by cutting down or even eliminating disposable waste. In most BLSS studies only a fraction of the resources, such as food, are provided by the system itself, with the rest taken on board at departure or provided through resupply missions. However, for autonomous long-duration space missions without any possibility of resupply, a BLSS that generates all resources with minimal or no material loss, is essential. The goal of this study is to develop a stoichiometric model of a conceptually fully closed BLSS that provides all the metabolic needs of the crew and organisms. The MELiSSA concept of the European Space Agency is used as reference system, consisting of five interconnected compartments, each inhabited by different types of organisms. A detailed review of publicly available MELiSSA literature from 1989 to 2022 revealed that no existing stoichiometric model met the study’s requirements. Therefore, a new stoichiometric model was developed to describe the cycling of the elements C, H, O, and N through all five MELiSSA compartments and one auxiliary compartment. A compact set of chemical equations with fixed coefficients was established for this purpose. A spreadsheet model simulates the flow of all relevant compounds for a crew of six. By balancing the dimensions of the different compartments, a high degree of closure is attained at steady state, with 12 out of 14 compounds exhibiting zero loss, and oxygen and CO2 displaying only minor losses between iterations. This is the first stoichiometric model of a MELiSSA-inspired BLSS that describes a continuous provision of 100% of the food and oxygen needs of the crew. The stoichiometry serves as the foundation of an agent-based model of the MELiSSA loop, as part of the Evolving Asteroid Starships (E|A|S) research project.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stoichiometric model of a fully closed bioregenerative life support system for autonomous long-duration space missions

Vermeulen

Papic²,

Nikolič

et al. 2023

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

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“…American and Russian researchers have been conducting tests for a number of years to examine the potential of higher plants for producing food, oxygen, and clean water for life support systems [32,[34][35][36], but crops in field settings are often exposed to suboptimal and fluctuating temperatures, humidity, and nutrient and water availability, as well as insect pests and diseases. Thus it is likely that plants grown in controlled environments with minimal stress may differ in nutritional composition from plants grown in the field.…”

Section: The Responses Of Edible Biomass To Different Treatmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of wheat growth, morphological characteristics, biomass yield and quality in Lunar Palace-1, plant factory, green house and field systems

Dong

Shao

et al. 2015

Acta Astronautica

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“…This method has shown solid waste degradation rates between 41% and 87.7% 79 . The degraded solid waste can either be taken out of the system or applied to a plant system, providing a carbon and nitrogen-rich source of residue fertilizer or soil-like substance that increases soil fertility and overall plant health and productivity [81][82][83] .…”

Section: Wastewater Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial applications for sustainable space exploration beyond low Earth orbit

Koehle,

Brumwell,

Seto

et al. 2023

npj Microgravity

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With the construction of the International Space Station, humans have been continuously living and working in space for 22 years. Microbial studies in space and other extreme environments on Earth have shown the ability for bacteria and fungi to adapt and change compared to “normal” conditions. Some of these changes, like biofilm formation, can impact astronaut health and spacecraft integrity in a negative way, while others, such as a propensity for plastic degradation, can promote self-sufficiency and sustainability in space. With the next era of space exploration upon us, which will see crewed missions to the Moon and Mars in the next 10 years, incorporating microbiology research into planning, decision-making, and mission design will be paramount to ensuring success of these long-duration missions. These can include astronaut microbiome studies to protect against infections, immune system dysfunction and bone deterioration, or biological in situ resource utilization (bISRU) studies that incorporate microbes to act as radiation shields, create electricity and establish robust plant habitats for fresh food and recycling of waste. In this review, information will be presented on the beneficial use of microbes in bioregenerative life support systems, their applicability to bISRU, and their capability to be genetically engineered for biotechnological space applications. In addition, we discuss the negative effect microbes and microbial communities may have on long-duration space travel and provide mitigation strategies to reduce their impact. Utilizing the benefits of microbes, while understanding their limitations, will help us explore deeper into space and develop sustainable human habitats on the Moon, Mars and beyond.

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Assessment of the possibility of establishing material cycling in an experimental model of the bio-technical life support system with plant and human wastes included in mass exchange

Cited by 35 publications

References 7 publications

Stoichiometric model of a fully closed bioregenerative life support system for autonomous long-duration space missions

Stoichiometric model of a fully closed bioregenerative life support system for autonomous long-duration space missions

Evaluation of wheat growth, morphological characteristics, biomass yield and quality in Lunar Palace-1, plant factory, green house and field systems

Microbial applications for sustainable space exploration beyond low Earth orbit

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