Integration of Lessons from Recent Research for “Earth to Mars” Life Support Systems

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

Advances in Space Research 41 (2008) 675–683 www.elsevier.com/locate/asr

Integration of lessons from recent research for ‘‘Earth to Mars’’ life support systems

M. Nelson *, W.F. Dempster, J.P. Allen

Biospheric Design Division, Global Ecotechnics Corp., 1 Bluebird Court, Santa Fe, NM 87508, USA Institute of Ecotechnics, 24 Old Gloucester St., London WC1 3AL, UK Received 12 September 2006; received in revised form 20 February 2007; accepted 23 February 2007

Abstract Development of reliable and robust strategies for long-term life support for planetary exploration must be built from real-time experimentation to verify and improve system components. Also critical is incorporating a range of viable options to handle potential short-term life system imbalances. This paper revisits some of the conceptual framework for a Mars base prototype which has been developed by the authors along with others previously advanced (‘‘Mars on EarthÒ’’) in the light of three years of experimentation in the Laboratory Biosphere, further investigation of system alternatives and the advent of other innovative engineering and agri-ecosystem approaches. Several experiments with candidate space agriculture crops have demonstrated the higher productivity possible with elevated light levels and improved environmental controls. For example, crops of sweet potatoes exceeded original Mars base prototype projections by an average of 46% (53% for best crop) ultradwarf (Apogee) wheat by 9% (23% for best crop), pinto bean by 13% (31% for best crop). These production levels, although they may be increased with further optimization of lighting regimes, environmental parameters, crop density etc. offer evidence that a soil-based system can be as productive as the hydroponic systems which have dominated space life support scenarios and research. But soil also offers distinct advantages: the capability to be created on the Moon or Mars using in situ space...