Earth Like Life Support – small sat testing of biological regeneration under artificial gravity, for protection of humans in space

Present US policy, alongside its partners, keeps the ISS operational, extending its service past its planned retirement (2016).

The extension keeps oportunities open for partner agencies to deploy new experiments there, focusing more forward-looking goals.

For human protection, four major research areas have been identified: (1) radiation mitigation; (2) highly recyclable bio-regenerative (BR) LSS; (3) micro-gravity countermeasures - including artificial gravity (AG), and (4) psychological safety.

However, in addition to a more complicated consumables logistic - and habitability issues, with diminishing Earth’s view, the ISS experience suggests that (in a worst case scenario):

I) It won’t be possible to send people to long deep space missions, safely and autonomously, with the current (low quality of) life support technology;

II) The alternative of a biosphere like Mars surface human habitat would not be possible either, due to evolutionary restraints (life could adapt/survive, but not necessarily in favor of humans).

From the above considerations arises the question:

Would an average approach be possible where, reusable S/C could be designed around an Earth like bio-regenerative life support, by applying the artificial gravity concept to the vehicle – thus integrating physical and human protective architectures, for long deep space manned missions?

For this research question a provisory answer has been provided.

And to test it, a small sat AG+BR bench simulator (plus computer methods) has been devised.

Since massive AG systems aren’t advisable inside the ISS structure, for stability reasons, any future AG+BR space trials must be run outside, but in associantion with, that orbital platform.