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Having established itself a place in a list of relevant space-related activities, the CELSS Antarctic Analog Project (CAAP) is providing the NASA and the NSF with a vision of the value of analogous operations for understanding the complex and interrelated elements of habitation, both on the Antarctic continent and in future missions to space. CAAP is being implemented in phases:Phase I will deploy a vegetable food production chamber to the South Pole Station. An on-site survey to find a suitable site for the Phase I chamber identified a number of candidate locations were identified. The parameters considered included space requirements and availability, proximity to appropriate utilities, proximity to the Utilidor, structural integrity and clearance, efficacy of planned operations, crew accessibility, and life-style, on-going Station activities, future Station redesign activities and future expansion into CAAP Phase II.

Research supporting development of fully regenerative life support system of the type known as Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems or CELSS has matured to a point where a shift in approach is appropriate. The approach of environmental manipulation and observation of resulting effects on biomass production provided the bases of CELSS feasibility. While plants provide the only known method of producing food, the processes of transpiration, leading to potable water production, and assimilation, leading to CO2 uptake and O2 production, are dynamic and can be independently controlled. These processes have traditionally been considered as fixed to a particular set of growing conditions. Knowledge of these independent control parameters can provide optimization of biomass, water, and O2/CO2 process rates, increase energy efficiency, and increase stability and predictability for life support systems.

One of the crucial issues associated with advanced life support systems is the issue of energy consumption and utilization. This is of paramount importance in food production, resource recovery and waste processing. Because of the difficult logistics, the South Pole Station represents a unique opportunity for the development of the concepts of energy consumption and utilization. The CELSS Antarctic Analog Project (CAAP) is being developed and deployed for operations at the South Pole Station to conduct a validation of CELSS and life support techniques and approaches under severe, isolated and realistic conditions. These polar conditions are analogous to space mission scenarios, a Mars surface habitat or a Lunar encampment mission. This paper will explore methods and processes for maximizing the effectiveness and benefits of CAAP while reducing the overall energy penalty in its operation.