Articles
EVALUATING THE FEASIBILITY OF BIOLOGICAL WASTE PROCESSING FOR LONG TERM SPACE MISSIONS
Article number
469_6
Pages
71 – 78
Language
Abstract
Recycling waste products during orbital (e.g., International Space Station) and planetary missions (e.g., lunar base, Mars transit mission, Martian base) will reduce storage and resupply costs.
Wastes streams on the space station will include human hygiene water, urine, faeces, and trash.
Longer term missions will contain human waste and inedible plant material from plant growth systems used for atmospheric regeneration, food production, and water recycling.
The feasibility of biological and physical-chemical waste recycling is being investigated as part of National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Advanced Life Support (ALS) Program.
In-vessel composting has lower manpower requirements, lower water and volume requirements, and greater potential for sanitization of human waste compared to alternative bioreactor designs such as continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR). Residual solids from the process (i.e. compost) could be used a biological air filter, a plant nutrient source, and a carbon sink.
Potential in-vessel composting designs for both near- and long-term space missions are presented and discussed with respect to the unique aspects of space-based systems.
Wastes streams on the space station will include human hygiene water, urine, faeces, and trash.
Longer term missions will contain human waste and inedible plant material from plant growth systems used for atmospheric regeneration, food production, and water recycling.
The feasibility of biological and physical-chemical waste recycling is being investigated as part of National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Advanced Life Support (ALS) Program.
In-vessel composting has lower manpower requirements, lower water and volume requirements, and greater potential for sanitization of human waste compared to alternative bioreactor designs such as continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR). Residual solids from the process (i.e. compost) could be used a biological air filter, a plant nutrient source, and a carbon sink.
Potential in-vessel composting designs for both near- and long-term space missions are presented and discussed with respect to the unique aspects of space-based systems.
Authors
J.L. Garland, M.P. Alazraki, C.F. Atkinson, B.W. Finger
Keywords
in-vessel composting, biological air filter, nutrient recycling, lunar base, mars mission, space station
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