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A workshop entitled the “Life Support & Habitation and Planetary Protection Workshop” was held in Houston, TX in April, 2005. The main objective of the workshop was to initiate communication, understanding, and a working relationship between the Life Support and Habitation1 (LSH) and Planetary Protection (PP) communities regarding the effect of the implementation of Mars human exploration PP policies on the Advanced Life Support2 (ALS), Advanced Extravehicular Activity (AEVA), and Advanced Environmental Monitoring and Control (AEMC) programs. This paper presents an overall summary of the workshop that includes workshop organization, objectives, starting assumptions, findings and recommendations. Specific result topics include the identification of knowledge and technology gaps, research and technology development (R&TD) needs, potential forward and back contaminants and pathways, mitigation alternatives, and PP requirements definition needs.

A recent NASA workshop examined systems and concepts that might enable the future safe and productive human exploration of Mars. The workshop emphasized planetary protection (PP)issues-protecting Mars from forward contamination during exploration, protecting astronaut health during the mission, and protecting Earth from back contamination upon return. A range of critical design and operational considerations were identified including mitigation procedures and equipment; human health and life support needs; mission tasks and schedules; equipment and operations for laboratory, habitat, life support, exploration, sampling and sample integrity needs, and sample; and back contamination controls and procedures for the return to Earth. The workshop report includes findings and recommendations that are likely to affect the design and cost of advanced life support systems for long duration human missions to Mars.

To avoid harmful contamination from any life forms that might be included in returned martian samples, NASA has developed a draft protocol outlining a proof-of-concept method for handling and testing martian materials. Designed to use minute amounts of sample material in a specially designed receiving laboratory, the draft protocol includes a comprehensive list of physical/chemical tests, life detection analyses and biohazards assays, as well as guidelines for containment, cleanliness, and sterilization. The draft protocol is intended to guide the eventual development of a final protocol and provide preliminary input for the design of facilities and equipment required to accomplish the comprehensive testing. This paper summarizes the draft protocol and the design, implementation and scientific challenges ahead.

Future human expeditionary missions such as return to the Moon or initial Martian expeditions must deal with new mission modes, mission environmental diversity, and extended mission durations. Two recently emerging technology capabilities, Virtual Environment (VE)/Virtual Reality (VR) and Computer Aided Design (CAD)/Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)/Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) enhanced capability, when used in combination with a systems engineering focus on systems effectiveness and availability, can make the difference in supporting human expeditionary systems design, development, manufacturing, and operations (flight and surface). Mission durations for human permanent lunar operations and initial and follow-on Martian expeditions will require a significant focus on system effectiveness. The systems effectiveness availability component has subsets of reliability, maintainability, operability, spares number and location, transportation capability, and “others”.

Steady advancement over the past several decades in the optimization of controlled ecological life support systems (CELSS) design and performance has resulted in the development of a variety of approaches to CELSS control. This paper reflects this evolution by surveying the approaches used in controlling plant growth chambers currently in use in academia, industry, and government agencies. A table is presented summarizing the control system hardware and software used and the corresponding control laws implemented by these systems. The advantages seen by the science and engineering groups operating several plant growth systems are discussed. Troublesome or cumbersome properties of the control systems of some plant growth systems are also discussed as well as some of the solutions which have been derived or envisioned.

Planetary surface exploration involves a variety of tasks whose accomplishment demands a broad mix of capabilities and strategies. As a model for the general problem, the exploration of Earth and the first forays to the Moon can be used to illustrate some of the strategies that have been used up to the present. Future exploration of the solar system can be guided by lessons learned in our own planetary system, and the use of hazardous environments on Earth can provide a valuable testing ground for future approaches to exploration. Some lessons from past Antarctic expeditions and recent field results from the Antarctic Space Analog Program illustrate the use of analog environments in preparation for space exploration.

In providing crew life support for future exploration missions, overall exploration objectives will drive the life support solutions selected. Crew size, mission tasking, and exploration strategy will determine the performance required from life support systems. Human performance requirements, for example, may be offset by the availability of robotic assistance. Once established, exploration requirements for life support will be weighed against the financial and technical risks of developing new technologies and systems. Other considerations will include the demands that a particular life support strategy will make on planetary surface site selection, and the availability of precursor mission data to support EVA and in situ resource recovery planning. As space exploration progresses, the diversity of life support solutions that are implemented is bound to increase.

As extended manned space missions and permanent bases become integral components of future space exploration, a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) could provide numerous advantages, including reduced launch mass over the life of a long-term mission, fewer and less time-critical logistic revisits, and a better crew environment (e.g., cleaner air, water, and fresh food). Because of the enabling nature of this technology it is important that it be proven and available to mission planners as soon as practicable, consistent with the requirements of the overall exploration strategy. The next major step in developing an operational CELSS is the development of a human-rated CELSS ground-based demonstrator that will supply the proof-of-concept for the use of a CELSS on a mission.

Recent Presidential directives have intensified the study of human participation in Solar System Exploration within the United States. NASA has updated its planning baseline for these missions, (1) and has identified improved life support as one of the key capabilities needed to enable long duration missions of exploration. This paper discusses the question of life support for the exploration missions of the future, and suggests a strategy for the development of these critical systems.