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Hierarchical control of space closed ecosystems: Expanding microgrid concepts to bioastronautics

Abstract:

One of the main challenges of human space exploration is the development of artificial ecosystems, which can be used as life support systems (LSSs) to enable long-duration human space missions. In an open LSS, no food generation or waste treatment is provided in space, and supplies from Earth are necessary. According to Figure 1, considering the approximate metabolic consumables and hygiene water as well as the number of crewmembers [1], a huge mass would be required to be transported from Earth, which brings the necessity of a regenerative or closed LSS [2]-[4]. Closed ecological systems (CESs) are ecosystems without any matter exchange with the outside environment [2]. The most advanced humanmade CESs include Advanced Life Support System Test Bed (ALSSTB) (the NASA Johnson Space Research Center, Houston, Texas), Biosphere 2 (Oracle, Arizona), BIOS-3 (Krasnoyarsk, Russia-no …