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In support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA), a laboratory has been established at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to evaluate the characteristics of chemical sensors which are candidates for use in a controlled chemical processing life support system. Such a facility is required for characterizing those sensors under development as well as those commercially available but whose functional properties are typically based upon operating in industrial environments that will not be completely synonomous with space operations. Space environments, such as an orbiting station or lunar base, will generally have different sensor requirements than terrestrial applications with respect to size, multifunctionality, sensitivity, reliability, temperature, ruggedness, mass, consumables, life, and power requirements. Both commercially available and developmental moisture sensors have been evaluated.

A model has been developed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to quantitatively compare and select life support systems and technology options. The model consists of a modular, top-down hierarchical breakdown of the life support system into subsystems, and further breakdown of subsystems into functional elements representing individual processing technologies. A series of papers titled “Human Life Support During Interplanetary Travel and Domicile” was planned to describe the technique and results. Parts I,II, III, and IV have been presented at previous ICES conferences. This paper includes the technology trades for a Mars mission, using solid waste treatment technologies to recover water from selected liquid and solid waste streams. Technologies include freeze drying, thermal drying, wet oxidation, combustion, and supercritical-water oxidation.

This paper describes the Generic Modular Flow Schematic (GMFS) architecture capable of encompassing all functional elements of a physical/chemical life support system (LSS). The GMFS can be implemented to synthesize, model, analyze, and quantitatively compare many configurations of LSSs, from a simple, completely open-loop to a very complex closed-loop. The GMFS model is coded in ASPEN, a state-of-the art chemical process simulation program, to accurately compute the material, heat, and power flow quantities for every stream in each of the subsystem functional elements (SFEs) in the chosen configuration of a life support system. The GMFS approach integrates the various SFEs and subsystems in a hierarchical and modular fashion facilitating rapid substitutions and reconfiguration of a life support system. The comprehensive ASPEN material and energy balance output is transferred to a systems and technology assessment spreadsheet for rigorous system analysis and trade studies.

A model is being developed to quantitatively compare and select systems and technology option for defined missions envisioned in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's (NASA's) Space Exploration Initiative. This model consists of a modular, top-down hierarchical break-down of the life support system (LSS) into subsystems, and further break-down of subsystems, into functional elements representing individual processing technologies. A series of papers titled Human Life Support During Interplanetary Travel and Domicile has been planned to describe the technique and results. Part I, presented at the 19th ICES Conference, describe the system approach. Part II, presented at this conference, describe Part III, this paper, describes results of a system trade study for a Mars Expedition mission comparing open and closed loop systems.

A model is being developed to quantitatively compare and select systems and technology options for defined missions envisioned in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Space Exploration Initiative. It consists of a modular, top-down hierarchical break-down of the life support system (LSS) into subsystems, and further break-down of subsystems into functional elements representing individual processing technologies. A series of papers titled “Human Life Support During Interplanetary Travel and Domicile” was planned to describe the technique and results. Part I, presented at the 19th ICES Conference, described the system approach. Parts II, III, and IV are presented at this conference. Part II describes the modeling technique. Part III describes results of a system trade study for a Mars Expedition Mission comparing open and closed loop systems.