Bioregenerative life-support systems (BLSSs) will be crucial for extended space missions and extraterrestrial habitats. The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, is recognized for its efficient ...organic waste consumption, making it well-suited for closed environments like spacecraft. Our study assessed H. illucens adaptability to different substrates, including a lunar regolith simulant, pertinent to future lunar colonization. Remarkably resilient, H. illucens prepupal larvae successfully pupated in all tested substrates, but pupation timing varied, with no-substrate larvae pupating later. Pupal stage duration also differed, particularly with lunar regolith simulant and sand treatments resulting in longer durations. Substrate treatments significantly influenced the number of emerged adults, with lunar regolith simulant yielding more adults than the no-substrate treatment. Additionally, sand and wood shavings treatments produced more adults, highlighting H. illucens adaptability to various substrates, including lunar regolith. These findings are crucial for future BLSSs design. Additionally, H. illucens adaptability to lunar regolith provides insights into life's adaptability in space environments, guiding future experiments on celestial bodies. This study provides critical data on how different substrates, including lunar regolith simulants, influence H. illucens development and survival, advancing BLSSs and ecological science in both space and terrestrial contexts.
•Insects have recently attracted significant interest in the context of BLSSs.•BSFs efficiently consume organic waste and provide a protein-rich food source.•Lunar regolith could be used as a growth medium for BSF larvae.•BSF larvae pupation and survival in lunar regolith was assessed.•This study provides crucial implications for lunar exploration and colonization.
There are still many challenges to overcome for human space exploration beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) (e.g., to the Moon) and for long-term missions (e.g., to Mars). One of the biggest problems is the ...reliable air, water and food supply for the crew. Bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) aim to overcome these challenges using bioreactors for waste treatment, air and water revitalization as well as food production. In this review we focus on the microbial photosynthetic bioprocess and photobioreactors in space, which allow removal of toxic carbon dioxide (CO
) and production of oxygen (O
) and edible biomass. This paper gives an overview of the conducted space experiments in LEO with photobioreactors and the precursor work (on ground and in space) for BLSS projects over the last 30 years. We discuss the different hardware approaches as well as the organisms tested for these bioreactors. Even though a lot of experiments showed successful biological air revitalization on ground, the transfer to the space environment is far from trivial. For example, gas-liquid transfer phenomena are different under microgravity conditions which inevitably can affect the cultivation process and the oxygen production. In this review, we also highlight the missing expertise in this research field to pave the way for future space photobioreactor development and we point to future experiments needed to master the challenge of a fully functional BLSS.
The Moon has returned into the focus of human endeavors regarding human spaceflight, e.g., with NASA's Artemis program, ESA's Moon Village, and the Russian/Chinese International Lunar Research ...Station. In difference to the pathfinding missions of the Apollo-era, the goal for these future missions is to stay on the lunar surface for longer durations and inhabit the lunar environment (near-)permanently. This requires a different approach to be affordable, i.e., instead of resupply as mostly used on e.g., the International Space Station, resource management has to include recycling and in-situ utilization. The former especially calls for the application of so-called BLSS to allow providing essential life-support services to the crew without prohibitive resource consumption, which is economically not feasible to achieve with resupplies. Bio-regenerative-life-support systems have been researched for decades, yet the system complexity, technology advancements, and singular aspects as e.g., plant biology require more research, especially if combined as in a greenhouse. For instance, the understanding of how a microbiome develops in a closed environment and what implications the microbiome has on plant growth is still insufficient. Within the EDEN project, the German Aerospace Center built a lunar analogue greenhouse and operated it at the Neumayer-III research station in Antarctica for four years, testing the technology – which was not space hardware – and operations. Derived from this experience the next step in the project is to design and subsequently operate a ground test demonstrator for a lunar greenhouse, as close as possible to the actual space hardware and operations. This paper explains the current design and trade-offs that led to it. Furthermore, the concept of operations is shown to illustrate the demonstrator's utility for researching bioregenerative-life-support. Overall, the system presented is feasible and useful to close the gaps, currently still existing in this field of research, and thus a mission enabler for future long-duration human space exploration missions.
•Design of an integrated greenhouse module test demonstrator.•Extensive science program definition.•Mission scenario definition for lunar greenhouse.•Discussion of benefits and open issues.
The configuration of a biologically fertile substrate for edible plant growth during long-term manned missions to Mars constitutes one of the main challenges in space research. Mars regolith ...amendment with compost derived from crew and crop waste in bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) may generate a substrate able to extend crew autonomy and long-term survival in space. In this context, the aim of our work was threefold: first, to study the geochemistry and mineralogy of Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS-1) and the physico-chemical and hydraulic properties of mixtures obtained by mixing MMS-1 and green compost at varying rates (0:100, 30:70, 70:30, 100:0; v:v); secondly, to evaluate the potential use of MMS-1 as a growing medium of two lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivars; thirdly, to assess how compost addition may impact on sustainability of space agriculture by exploiting in situ resources. MMS-1 is a coarse-textured alkaline substrate consisting mostly of plagioclase, amorphous material and secondarily of zeolite, hematite and smectites. Although it can be a source of nutrients, it lacks organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur, which may be supplied by compost. Both cultivars grew well on all mixtures for 19 days under fertigation. Red Salanova lettuce produced a statistically higher dry biomass, leaf number and area than Green Salanova. Leaf area and plant dry biomass were the highest on 30:70 simulant:compost mixture. Nevertheless, the 70:30 mixture was the best substrate in terms of pore-size distribution for water-plant relationship and the best compromise for plant growth and sustainable use of compost, a limited resource in BLSS. Many remaining issues warrant further investigation concerning the dynamics of compost production, standardisation of supply during space missions and representativeness of simulants to real Mars regolith.
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•Coarse-textured alkaline simulant most consists of plagioclase and amorphous minerals•Simulant can be source of plant nutrients, but lacks of organic matter and nitrogen.•Bulk density and pH of simulant were lowered by increasing compost amendment.•Compost addition improved nutrient availability and hydraulic properties of simulant.•The highest plant dry biomass was produced on 30:70 simulant:compost mixture.
It is extremely important to accurately estimate reliability and lifetime of Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS) for its proper design, building and operation. However, this problem remains ...unsolved due to data deficiency of long-period prototype experiments. In this paper, the first ground-based experimental prototype of BLSS in China, Lunar Palace 1 (LP1), was selected as representative to estimate the reliability and lifetime of BLSS, because the number and time of each unit failure of LP1 was accurately recorded during the 370-day closed human experiment of LP1. Based on these time-series data, failure number probability distribution function of each unit and overall LP1 were formulated through parameter estimation and composite probability distribution function derived from units’ series and parallel connection. Then, the influence of each unit failure on overall BLSS reliability and lifetime was determined correspondingly through sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, the numerous pseudo-random numbers obeying the overall failure probability distribution function of LP1 were generated to estimate the reliability and lifetime of BLSS through maximum likelihood estimation and Monte Carlo simulations. The results demonstrate that the failure possibility of five units, water treatment unit, mineral element supply unit, LED light source unit, atmosphere management unit and temperature and humidity control unit have greater impact on reliability and lifetime of BLSS, and the mean lifetime of BLSS was 19112.37 days (about 52.4 years) with 95% confidence interval of 17367.11, 20672.68 days (about 47.58, 56.64 years) under normal operation and maintenance of BLSS. This research can lay a theoretical foundation for design, building and operation of BLSS with high reliability and long lifetime in the future.
•Number and time of each unit failure in the 370-day closed human experiment of Lunar Palace 1 (LP1).•Failure number probability distribution function of each unit and overall LP1.•Sensitivity of LP1's reliability to each unit failure probability.•Generation of peculiar pseudo-random numbers by Monte Carlo simulations.•Mean lifetime of BLSS was 19112.37 days under normal operation and maintenance.
Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) are a key facet of plans for long term habitats on other celestial bodies. With the Artemis program headed to the moon and SpaceX pushing towards Mars the ...roadmap is about 10–20 years. Therefore it is vital to consider how BLSS will work with the traditional physicochemical Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS). Biological systems are complicated. Their inputs and outputs cannot be turned on and off the way physicochemical systems can. Therefore the accurate monitoring and prediction of these systems is fundamental to integrating the BLSS into the life support system as a whole. This paper will summarize the history of BLSS research, the system requirements for integrating a BLSS into the ECLSS, and the research needed to meet these requirements. As the world looks towards the future of humans living on other celestial bodies, there is a lot of work to do to support keeping them safe and healthy. Bioregenerative Life Support Systems have potential to provide massive support, if they are effectively integrated with the physicochemical systems.
•Explores the systems requirements of physicochemical and bioregenerative systems.•Provides updated equivalent system mass estimates using LED lighting technologies.•Calculates return on investment time for bioregenerative food production.•Suggests future research directions for bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS).
To enable long-distance space travel, the development of a highly efficient and robust system to recover nutrients from waste streams is imperative. The inability of the current physicochemical-based ...environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) on the ISS to produce food
in situ
and to recover water and oxygen at high enough efficiencies results in the need for frequent resupply missions from Earth. Therefore, alternative strategies like biologically-based technologies called bioregenerative life support systems (BLSSs) are in development. These systems aim to combine biological and physicochemical processes, which enable
in situ
water, oxygen, and food production (through the highly efficient recovery of minerals from waste streams). Hence, minimalizing the need for external consumables. One of the BLSS initiatives is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA). It has been designed as a five-compartment bioengineered system able to produce fresh food and oxygen and to recycle water. As such, it could sustain the needs of a human crew for long-term space exploration missions. A prerequisite for the self-sufficient nature of MELiSSA is the highly efficient recovery of valuable minerals from waste streams. The produced nutrients can be used as a fertilizer for food production. In this review, we discuss the need to shift from the ECLSS to a BLSS, provide a summary of past and current BLSS programs and their unique approaches to nitrogen recovery and processing of urine waste streams. In addition, compartment III of the MELiSSA loop, which is responsible for nitrogen recovery, is reviewed in-depth. Finally, past, current, and future related ground and space demonstration and the space-related challenges for this technology are considered.
Microbial products for space nutrition Mussagy, Cassamo U.; Pereira, Jorge F.B.; Pessoa, Adalberto
Trends in biotechnology (Regular ed.),
07/2024, Volume:
42, Issue:
7
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Sustainably producing nutrients beyond Earth is one of the biggest technical challenges for future extended human space missions. Microorganisms such as microalgae and cyanobacteria can provide ...astronauts with nutrients, pharmaceuticals, pure oxygen, and bio-based polymers, making them an interesting resource for constructing a circular bioregenerative life support system in space.
Sustainably producing nutrients beyond Earth is one of the biggest technical challenges for future extended human space missions. Microorganisms such as microalgae and cyanobacteria can provide astronauts with nutrients, pharmaceuticals, pure oxygen, and bio-based polymers, making them an interesting resource for constructing a circular bioregenerative life support system in space.
The review considers modern research and development in bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) for crewed spacecrafts, summarizes the information obtained in scientific research in this field, ...evaluates of current status of the astronaut life support problems, frames unsolved questions and determines areas for future study. This review shows that the most promising life support systems include phototrophic microorganisms which can be used to create carbon, oxygen and nitrogen cycles within one system, which, in turn, allows reducing the level of resupplied and/or stored stocks of resources and, therefore, total crewed expedition cost. However, there are still a number of issues that require additional research, and foremost it is a long-term large-scale microorganisms cultivation under the influence of significant stress factors like cosmic radiation, microgravity/weightlessness, low atmospheric pressure and high CO2 concentrations, whether it is a circumlunar/lunar space station or Mars expedition.
•Bioregenerative LSS for long-time expedition are discussed.•Prospects for the use of certain types of phototrophic microorganisms in LSS are considered.•The influence of space expedition stress factors on phototrophic microorganisms is summarized.•Areas for additional research to create reliable bioregenerative LSS are identified.
To expand space explorations into space settlements, there is a need for the establishment of a sustainable, closed-loop life support system. Systems involving microalgae are promising, as they could ...simultaneously revitalize air (i.e., CO2 to O2 conversion), reclaim water (i.e., nutrient biofixation/recycling), and provide food supplement (i.e., biomass). This would entail microalgal cultivation in human-derived wastes (both gas and liquid), which could provide challenges on system tolerance, particularly on the levels of nutrients in these wastes. In this work, the effect of macronutrient Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), and Phosphorus (P) levels on the phototrophic growth of Chlorella vulgaris UTEX 2714 was investigated using synthetic wastewater. This was done to determine the range of macronutrient levels that are suitable for sustained microalgal growth. The highest biomass concentration was achieved when the microalga was axenically cultivated in 71 mg C/L, 64 mg N/L, and 13 mg P/L. With an equivalent C:N:P mass ratio of 5.5:5:1, this cultivation condition was significantly different from the ideal C:N:P of 41:7:1, suggesting a C-limited growth environment. This was also supported by 99.9% C consumption, while only consuming 56% and 72% of N and P, respectively. These results indicate that during space cultivation, incremental amount of C must be added to the microalgal system to improve the overall C:N:P of the process and to enhance N and P consumption, while ensuring that the C level is below the inhibitory threshold limit. Based on these results, together with human-derived wastes data from the International Space Station, a microalgal photobioreactor configuration was proposed.
•Uninhibited growth of C. vulgaris in HCO3−, NH4+, and H2PO4− is carbon-limited.•Incremental input of CO2 could improve the consumption of nitrogen and phosphorus.•The threshold macronutrient levels could be used to estimate bioreactor sizes.
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