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Integrating physicochemical and biological technologies into a regenerative life support system is a complex technical challenge. NASA recognizes that the depth and breadth of the challenge warrants a comprehensive investigation. NASA is implementing several ground-based projects to look at different systems integration issues. The combined efforts of these activities will enable NASA to develop regenerative life support systems for human exploration of the solar system in the 21st century. This paper provides an overview of NASA's overall approach to ground testing of integrated regenerative life support systems.

Future manned habitats such as a Lunar or Martian outpost will require a high degree of self-sufficiency to minimize cost and dependency on resupply from Earth. Food and other life support expendables are major resupply items required for long-term habitation of planetary surfaces. By growing higher plants for food, resupply can be reduced and self-sufficiency increased. Additionally, higher plants provide carbon dioxide (CO2) removal and reduction, oxygen (O2) production, and water reclamation for human life support. Plants have been grown in the controlled environment of the Regenerative Life Support Systems (RLSS) Test Bed at Johnson Space Center. The systems performance in terms of supporting human life was determined for plant CO2 assimilation, O2 generation, and evapotranspiration rates, trace contaminant generation, and biomass production. In addition, test conditions and anomalies are described.