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Successful operation of life support systems for human exploration of space will depend largely on in situ sensors and integration of these sensors to an autonomous control architecture. The complexity of a life support system demands that these sensors be uniquely qualified for a number of specific applications. Such applications may require multifunctional monitoring of the sensor environment and intelligent interaction with other sensors and control elements. In situ sensors found in the chemical processing industry are largely not multifunctional and not necessarily selected for minimal weight, volume and power demand. Therefore, the state-of-the-art for in situ sensors found in the chemical processing industries is not directly transferrable to life support applications. Highly autonomous life support systems require reliable chemical, physical and biosensors requiring little maintenance and which are highly fault-tolerant.