Test Results and Evaluation of Preliminary Manned Test of a Regenerative Life Support System 2002-01-2510

A 48-hour manned closed environment test was carried out using the closure environmental adaptation training facility (isolation chamber) at Tsukuba Space Center of NASDA (National Space Development Agency of Japan), in Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan. This 48-hour closed test was planned and conducted as a preliminary testing for future manned closed tests of advanced life support systems. The purposes of the test were to obtain basic data related to design requirements of regenerative life support systems, which include environmental data of air, water, waste water, and microorganisms inside the chamber, and data on human mass balance and human consumables during the test. Additionally perform integrated evaluation tests on functions and performance of Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) subsystem research models which have been fabricated and evaluated so far in independent separate tests. Those ECLSS components include carbon dioxide removal equipment, carbon dioxide reduction equipment, two-stage reverse osmosis membrane water processor, and vacuum membrane distillation water reclamation equipment.

This paper presents the overview of the test plan, operational concepts, test facility, and the results of tests, and also reports issues and lessons learned found during the test, which should be considered and resolved in future planning for long-duration manned tests.