Progress and prospect of research on controlled ecological life support technique

Reducing Energy Requirements in Future Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs): Performance and Bioactive Composition of Diverse Lettuce Genotypes Grown Under Optimal and Suboptimal Light Conditions

“…These obstacles mostly include environmental constraints (e.g. microgravity, low pressure, excessive radiation and so forth), space and energy limitations, as well as the need to ensure the optimal nutrition of crew members through the production of functional and bio-fortified foods (Guo et al, 2017; Kyriacou et al, 2017). Several crops have been suggested for space farming based on specific criteria, and lettuce has been identified as a candidate leafy vegetable crop in several research studies (Massa et al, 2017; Meinen et al, 2018).…”

“…So far, life in space flights and short missions have been supported by dried staple food or nutritional formulas, since fresh food production under space conditions remains a challenge due to several environmental constraints and a lack of knowledge of plant physiology under such conditions (Kyriacou et al, 2017; Meinen et al, 2018). Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSSs) or Bio-regenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs) have been proposed as efficient means to ensure long-term human survival during space exploration through the sustainable provision of necessary food sources (Guo et al, 2017). The main idea behind these systems is based on Earth biosphere principles and aims to combine food crops and decomposers for the continuous supply of water and oxygen to space colonists without resupplying from Earth (Zabel et al, 2016).…”

“…Current research programs such as MELiSSA (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) have focused on creating space habitats that can support human life through the autonomous supply of water, air and food (Walker and Granjou, 2017). Up to now, however, the most advanced CELSSs can only achieve regeneration of water and oxygen without being able to support food production under space conditions (Guo et al, 2017). Therefore, there is an urgent need to engineer a space biosphere where fresh food production from higher plants can sustain human life for long-term expeditions and space colonies.…”

“…Growing fresh food in space from vegetables species has been recognized as a key element for the success of CELSSs, because of their importance in human nutrition and their perishable nature (Kyriacou et al, 2017). Moreover, cultivation of higher plants in space missions has been associated with the better well-being of crew members, including mental and overall health status (Koga and Iwasaki, 2013; Guo et al, 2017).…”

Air Distribution in a Fully-Closed Higher Plant Growth Chamber Impacts Crop Performance of Hydroponically-Grown Lettuce

“…Controlled ecological life support systems (CELSSs) or bio-regenerative life support systems (BLSSs) have been defined as systems that guarantee human life for long-term in space environments, being able to provide the necessary food sources (Guo et al, 2017). Their main objective is to provide the crew with food, oxygen and water without the need of continuous resupplying from Earth, therefore recovering resources from the waste generated by the crew (Zabel et al, 2016).…”