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SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems

I was not surprised that we did not have a thread for the topic as it was probably lost in the crash...

We have talked about this topic in losts of other topics but seemingly not by its self.

How to keep humans alive on Mars - Independent Surface Habitat ECLSS Conceptual Design Assessment by Paragon

The ECLSS is one of the key systems required to support a human settlement on Mars and will create a safe environment for the future Mars inhabitants, supplying them with clean air and water while recycling wastes. 

An ECLSS design for a permanent human settlement on Mars has never been implemented and will need to consider the unique challenges of an extreme Martian environment

The ECLSS Functions

The ECLSS will primarily provide water and a healthy and comfortable atmosphere within the habitat. Since shipping resources from Earth to Mars is a costly endeavour, all breathable air and the water for the habitat will be produced using local Martian resources, otherwise known as in-situ resource utilization or ISRU. This process is vital to the long term goal of self-sufficiency for humans on Mars. The functions of the ECLSS are distributed across its five primary systems, which are described below:

•The Atmosphere Management System (AMS) controls carbon dioxide and other trace contaminants, produces oxygen via the electrolysis of waters, detects fires, controls the pressures of different atmospheric gases, controls the air temperature, and monitors overall air quality;
•The in-situ Resource Processing System (ISRPS) provides two main functions, namely water recovery from Martian regolith (soil) and nitrogen/argon production from the Martian atmosphere;
•The Wet Waste Processing System (WWPS) isolates human generated wet waste (such as urine) and extracts purified (but non-drinkable) water that is subsequently processed by the WMS for use by the crew;
•The Water Management System (WMS) collects non-drinkable water from the ISRPS, WWPS, and excess humidity in the habitat atmosphere and purifies it to produce clean water for drinking, food preparation, and hygiene;
•The Thermal Control System (TCS) balances the heat generated by the crew and electrical devices with losses to the surroundings while maintaining the crew and the equipment within an acceptable temperature range.

http://cdn.mars-one.com/images/uploads/ … ssment.pdf

We have also discussed the topic of greenhouse plant growth as a part of what needs to be eventually made possible if not from the first mission it certainly is the next....

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Environmental Control and Life Support Systems

Thanks for the update MarsMan , had trouble with the old Human mission tech group on Yahoo (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mar … ssion/info) to access the document ATC 4.3, meantioned there but here is snippets from your plan location http://www.marsdrive.net/our-plan/

It is ten years of research into the economic and technological viability of reaching the red planet.
Objectives:

1. Creation of a profitable Earth/space commerce company
2. Profitable space settlement

It is felt that the ability to live off the land means from day one that a crew is there to stay with minimal support from Earth as it will take to long to get anything that is needed to the crew.

Introducing “Environmental Life Module”, E.L.M (Profit Area 1) Estimated development funds required for E.L.M integration: $2.75 million U.S. it is a versatile, multiple use, pre-fabricated enclosed structure designed to maximize production and generation of the following essential products and services:

1.Prototype 1: Food production via enhanced hydroponic growth systems
2.Prototype 2: Water production via enclosed water extraction, storage and filtration systems
3.Prototype 3: Energy production via solar, wind or other renewable technologies
4.Communications hubs
5.Information Technology/Internet services and storage
6.Residential housing modules
7.Recycling systems

With it being modular and possibly built via 3D reproduction on site.....

jfenciso

Member

From: Philippines

Registered: 2018-10-27

Posts: 89

Website

Re: Environmental Control and Life Support Systems

If I am free, I will post a link about a research paper related to the proposed design of environmental control and life support systems.

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I'm Jayson from the Philippines. Graduate of Master of Science in Botany at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. I am specializing in Plant Physiology, and have a minor degree in Agronomy. My research interests are Phytoremediation, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Nutrition, and Plant Stress Physiology.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Environmental Control and Life Support Systems

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/characteri … ntrol-and/

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration … oop_System

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.space. … nauts.html