Flexible Path Environmental Control and Life Support Technology - An Updated Look at Next Steps

Abstract

Implementation of NASA's flexible path for space exploration will require significant planning and technology development in the functional area of Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS). A study by engineers at Boeing and HSSSI last year identified viable ECLS technologies to support future human space exploration and developed key tenets for flexible path ECLS systems -reliability, scalability, commonality and maintainability. Continuing this effort, study results have been reassessed based on evolving mission concepts, design parameters and published results of other related studies. They have been extended to include greater specificity in trade parameters as a foundation for technology development planning. The effort has emphasized the development challenges and needs for common technologies and development paths that cut across multiple missions and multipleplatforms used in their execution. The results identified specific high priority development targets for several ECLS functions. These needs are compared to known current development activities and plans and recommendations for added or modified development for future years (2014 and beyond) are discussed.

Guiding Requirements for Designing Life Support System Architectures for Crewed Exploration Missions Beyond Low-Earth Orbit

“…This architecture builds upon the core process technologies and the significant operational record of the ISS LSS. [13][14][15] Specific developmental aspects of the exploration LSS architecture, including key performance parameters, and key functional interfaces within the architecture are presented elsewhere. 16,17 The ISS LSS development and operational heritage offers invaluable observations and lessons learned in the areas of design, development, testing, in-flight operations and refinement, and international collaboration.…”