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Life support and radiation shielding are two critical technologies for manned exploration missions. For long duration missions, life support resources, such as water and food, must be provided to keep the crew alive and shelter must be provided to protect the crew from radiation. The large amounts of food and water required for long duration missions have been the major reason for developing closed loop life support systems. However, preliminary findings indicate that food and water can be effective as radiation shielding and may result in significant mass savings over dedicated shielding. This dual use of life support resources reduces overall system mass as well as the mass penalty associated with open loop life support.

A functional analysis was performed to identify life support functions and interrelationships required for manned space exploration. Methods were identified to provide each of these functions, ranging from resupply of consumables to totally regenerative processes. Specific mission characteristics and their effect on advanced life support requirements are outlined. A preliminary assessment is made as to which life support functions are critical for missions of various duration. Technologies which have been selected for Space Station Freedom and associated degrees of closure are discussed and areas for future work are suggested.