How to establish a Bioregenerative Life Support System for long-term crewed missions to the Moon or Mars
Abstract
To conduct crewed simulation experiments of bioregenerative life support systems on the ground is a critical step for human life support in deep-space exploration. An artificial closed ecosystem named Lunar Palace 1 was built through integrating efficient higher plant cultivation, animal protein production, urine nitrogen recycling, and bioconversion of solid waste. Subsequently, a 105-day, multicrew, closed integrative bioregenerative life support systems experiment in Lunar Palace 1 was carried out from February through May 2014. The results show that environmental conditions as well as the gas balance between O 2 and CO 2 in the system were well maintained during the 105-day experiment. A total of 21 plant species in this system kept a harmonious coexistent relationship, and 20.5% nitrogen recovery from urine, 41% solid waste degradation, and a small amount of insect in situ production were achieved. During the 105-day experiment, oxygen and water were recycled, and 55% of the food was regenerated. Key Words: Bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS)—Space agriculture—Space life support—Waste recycle—Water recycle. Astrobiology 16, 925–936.
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Plants can sustain crew survival away from Earth by producing fresh food and contributing ecological services such as air purification and water recycling.
“Plants can sustain crew survival away from the Earth, by producing fresh food as part of their edible biomass and simultaneously contributing to several ecological services like air purification and water recycling [2,6,7,8,9]”
From Mars Regolith Simulant Ameliorated by Compost as in situ Cultivation Substrate Improves Lettuce Growth and Nutritional Aspects (2020) · cites this paper as [8]
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Establishment of a closed artificial ecosystem to ensure human long-term survival on the moon
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- Authors
- Fu, Y., Li, L., Xie, B., Dong, C., Wang, M., Jia, B., Shao, L., Dong, Y., Deng, S., Liu, H., Liu, G., Liu, B., Hu, D., & Liu, H.
- Affiliations
- Beihang University (CN)
- Beihang University
- Corresponding author
- Liu, Hong
- Venue
- Astrobiology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2016-12
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 925-936
- ISSN
- 1531-1074 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-8070
- OpenAlex
- W2560032480
- Cited by
- 164
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 6
- FWCI
- 11.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Astrobiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Space Exploration and Technology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Spaceflight effects on biology
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Innovations in Aquaponics and Hydroponics Systems
- Keywords
- bioregenerative life support, closed ecological systems, space agriculture, spacecraft life support, plant cultivation, animal protein production, water reuse, Mars, Moon
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Atmosphere, Energy Metabolism, Food, Humans, Humidity, Life Support Systems, Oxygen, Space Flight, Temperature, Time Factors, Water, Moon, Ecological Systems, Closed, Biomass, Mars, Crops, Agricultural, Solid Waste
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