Development of a CELSS Experimental Facility

Guo, Sen; Tang, Yongkang; Zhu, Jingtao; Wang, X.; Yin, Yulong; Feng, Hongqi; Ai, Weidang; Liu, X.; Qin, Lifeng

doi:10.1016/j.asr.2007.09.029

Cited by 13 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Further examples are the European Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) [6], the Canadian controlled environment systems research facility (CESRF) [7], and the Chinese CELSS-experiment facility [8].…”

Section: Previous Activities and Remaining Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

From ice to space: a greenhouse design for Moon or Mars based on a prototype deployed in Antarctica

et al. 2020

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The future of human space exploration is aimed at long-term missions to Moon and Mars. Currently, plans are elaborated by NASA, ESA, CNSA and others for a return to the lunar environment within the next decade as an intermediate step towards the goal of reaching the surface of Mars. For sustenance and crew comfort the crew of such long-duration missions should be provided with fresh food on the lunar or Martian surface. Due to the associated power demand, the required resources and technological complexity, this is a major challenge for this kind of missions. To continuously provide fresh food without the need for cargo transfer from Earth towards Moon or Mars an on-site greenhouse system is required, producing the fresh food in situ. The associated effort and cost for all resources to be transported to the base of operation prohibit any waste of resources, requiring a system operating in a (nearly) closed loop. Developing and validating a prototype for an effective and efficient greenhouse, labeled future exploration greenhouse (FEG) for space exploration has been the goal of the EDEN ISS project, funded by the EU, in the past 4 years. This paper shows the results of a design elaboration of the FEG into a greenhouse for planetary deployment on Moon or Mars. Guided by lessons learned from operating the FEG in Antarctica for one year and based on assumptions concerning the mission scenario, e.g. assuming an existing base infrastructure on-site, the presented design incorporates a plant growth area which is more than a factor of two larger than the prototype. The total mass of the cylindrical system, including equipment required during launch, transfer and landing, is about 19 mT, fitting into a Falcon 9 launcher. The versatile design is compatible with a wide variety of mission scenarios, e.g. ESA’s Moon Village, and currently public mission plans.

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Section: Previous Activities and Remaining Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

From ice to space: a greenhouse design for Moon or Mars based on a prototype deployed in Antarctica

et al. 2020

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“…An effective approach to realize this goal is the establishment of a controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) that provides all the essential living requirements, such as food, oxygen, and water through continuous regeneration (Nelson, Dempster & Allen, 2008). The CELSS is also termed as a bio-regenerative life support system, biological life system, or third-generation life support system, and is a closed micro-ecological circulation environment that is artificially constructed based on the characteristics of the space environment (Guo et al, 2008). In this system, plants provide food and oxygen for heterotrophic organisms (humans and animals) through photosynthesis, and convert carbon dioxide and other waste from heterotrophic organisms into useful products, constituting the carbon and oxygen cycles of the system (MacElroy & Bredt, 1984).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated manned Mars exploration: effects of dietary and diurnal cycle variations on the gut microbiome of crew members in a controlled ecological life support system

Dong

Chen

et al. 2019

PeerJ

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Background Changes in gut microbiome are closely related to dietary and environment variations, and diurnal circle interventions impact on human metabolism and the microbiome. Changes in human gut microbiome and serum biochemical parameters during long-term isolation in a controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) are of great significance for maintaining the health of crewmembers. The Green Star 180 project performed an integrated study involving a four-person, 180-day duration assessment in a CELSS, during which variations in gut microbiome and the concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, α-tocopherol, retinol and folic acid from the crewmembers were determined. Results Energy intake and body mass index decreased during the experiment. A trade-off between Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes during the study period was observed. Dynamic variations in the two dominant genus Bacteroides and Prevotella indicated a variation of enterotypes. Both the evenness and richness of the fecal microbiome decreased during the isolation in the CELSS. Transition of diurnal circle from Earth to Mars increased the abundance of Fusobacteria phylum and decreased alpha diversity of the fecal microbiome. The levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the CELSS were significantly lower than those outside the CELSS. Conclusions The unique isolation process in the CELSS led to a loss of alpha diversity and a transition of enterotypes between Bacteroides and Prevotella. Attention should therefore be paid to the transition of the diurnal circle and its effects on the gut microbiome during manned Mars explorations. In particular, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels require monitoring under artificial light environments and during long-term space flight. Large-scale studies are required to further consolidate our findings.

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Study on the kinetic characteristics of trace harmful gases for a two-person-30-day integrated CELSS test

Fei

et al. 2014

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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A two-person-30-day controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) integrated test was carried out, and more than 30 kinds of trace harmful gases including formaldehyde, benzene, and ammonia were measured and analyzed dynamically. The results showed that the kinds and quantities of the trace harmful gases presented a continuously fluctuating state during the experimental period, but none of them exceed the spacecraft maximum allowable concentration (SMAC). The results of the Pre-Test (with two persons without plants for 3 days) and the Test (with two persons and four kinds of plants for 30 days) showed that there are some notable differences for the compositions of the trace harmful gases; the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as toluene, hexane, and acetamide were searched out in the Pre-Test, but were not found in the Test. Moreover, the concentrations of the trace harmful gases such as acetic benzene, formaldehyde, and ammonia decreased greatly in the Test more than those in the Pre-Test, which means that the plants can purify these gases efficiently. In addition, the VOCs such as carbon monoxide, cyclopentane, and dichloroethylene were checked out in the Test but none in the Pre-Test, which indicates that these materials might be from the crew's metabolites or those devices in the platform. Additionally, the ethylene released specially by plants accumulated in the later period and its concentration reached nearly ten times of 0.05 mg m(-3) (maximum allowed concentration for plant growth, which must have promoted the later withering of plants). We hoped that the work can play a referring function for controlling VOCs effectively so that future more CELSS integrating tests can be implemented smoothly with more crew, longer period, and higher closure.

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Development of a CELSS Experimental Facility

Cited by 13 publications

References 9 publications

From ice to space: a greenhouse design for Moon or Mars based on a prototype deployed in Antarctica

From ice to space: a greenhouse design for Moon or Mars based on a prototype deployed in Antarctica

Simulated manned Mars exploration: effects of dietary and diurnal cycle variations on the gut microbiome of crew members in a controlled ecological life support system

Study on the kinetic characteristics of trace harmful gases for a two-person-30-day integrated CELSS test

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