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Concept
MELiSSA
Summary
The Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) is a European Space Agency (ESA) initiative with the aim to develop the technology for a future regenerative life support system for long-term human space missions. Initiated in 1989, the design is inspired by a terrestrial ecosystem. As of 2023, MELiSSA is a consortium made up of 30 organisations across Europe.
Space missions involving humans require essential resources to sustain life. Approximately 3.56 kg of drinkable water and 26 kg of water for hygiene is needed for each person. The longer and further the missions are, the more difficult and costly it becomes to supply resources. MELiSSA's aim is to ideally create an artificially closed ecosystem to autonomously recycle the wastes to oxygen, water and food with only the input of energy to drive the process.
The loop is made up of 4 compartments with the crew members at the centre. The compartments are:
The liquefying compartment (compartment 1):
This compartment is the collection point for all mission waste, such as urea and kitchen waste, as well as the non-edible parts of the higher plant compartment (i.e. straw and roots). The compartment's aim is to anaerobically transform this waste to ammonium, H2, CO2, volatile fatty acids and minerals. For biosafety reasons and for optimum degradation efficiency, the compartment operates in thermophilic conditions (55 °C). The process of degradation in this compartment is carried out by proteolysis, saccharolysis and cellulolysis.
The photoheterotrophic compartment (compartment 2):
This compartment is responsible for the elimination of the terminal products of the liquefying compartment; mainly the volatile fatty acids.
The nitrifying compartment (compartment 3):
The nitrifying compartment's main function is to cycle NH4+ produced from waste to nitrates, which is the most favourable source of nitrogen for higher plants as well as Arthrospira platensis. The compartment is composed of a mix of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter which oxidise NH4+ to NO2− and NO2− to NO3−, respectively.
Official source
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