Controlled (or Closed) Ecological Life Support Systems or (acronym CELSS) are a type of scientific endeavor to create a self-supporting life support system for space stations and colonies typically through controlled ecological environments, such as the BioHome, BIOS-3, Biosphere 2 and Mars Base Zero. Life support, in the medical field, refers to a set of therapies for preserving a patients life when essential body systems are not functioning sufficiently to sustain life unaided. ... A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live on in outer space. ... Ernst Haeckel coined the term oekologie in 1866. ... BioHome was a small facility created by NASA that could support one person in a fully-functional habitat. ... BIOS-3 was a closed ecosystem at the Institute of Biophysics in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, in what was then the Soviet Union. ... Biosphere 2 is a manmade closed ecological system in Oracle, Arizona built by John Polk Allen, Space Biosphere Ventures and others. ...

The Nascence of the Science

CELSS was first pioneered by the Russians during the infamous "Space Race" in the 1950s-60s. Originated by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and furthered by V.I. Vernadsky, the first forays into this science were the use of closed, unmanned ecosystems, expanding into the research facility known as the BIOS-3. For other uses, see Space Race (disambiguation). ... Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky (Konstanty CioÅ‚kowski), (Константин Эдуардович Циолковский; September 5, 1857 new style – September 19, 1935) was a Russian and Soviet rocket scientist and pioneer of cosmonautics who spent most of his life in a log-house at the outskirts of the Russian town of Kaluga. ... Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky (Владимир Иванович Вернадский) (March 12, 1863, N.S. [ February 28, O.S. ] – January 6, 1945) was a Russian mineralogist and geochemist who first popularized the concept of the noosphere and deepened the idea biosphere to the meaning largely recognized by todays scientific community. ... BIOS-3 was a closed ecosystem at the Institute of Biophysics in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, in what was then the Soviet Union. ...

Then in 1965, manned experiments began in the BIOS-3. BIOS-3 was a closed ecosystem at the Institute of Biophysics in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, in what was then the Soviet Union. ...

Reasons for the Science

Space travel, thus far, has been limited to our own solar system. Also, everything that astronauts would need in the way of life support (air, water, and food) has been brought with them. This may be economical for short missions of space craft, it is not the most elegant solution when dealing with the life support systems of a long-term craft (such as a generation ship) or a settlement. Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer-Earth objects and generally anything that involves the technologies, science, and politics regarding space endeavors. ... Major features of the solar system (not to scale): The Sun, the eight planets, the asteroid belt, dwarf planet Pluto, and a comet. ... U.S. Space Shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit. ... AIR is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below: The Annals of Improbable Research, a monthly magazine devoted to scientific humour All India Radio - Indias Government Radio service AIR, a popular electronica band from France. ... This article focuses on water as it is experienced in everyday life. ... Ariane 5 lifts off with the Rosetta probe on 2nd of March, 2004. ... A generation ship is a hypothetical type of starship that would travel much slower than light across great distances between stars (see interstellar travel). ...

The aim of CELSS is to create a regenerative environment that can support and maintain human life via agricultural means. In biology, regeneration is the ability to recreate lost or damaged tissues, organs and limbs. ... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin for wise man or knowing man) under the family Hominidae (the great apes). ...

Components of CELSS

Air Revitalization

In non-CELSS environments, air replenishment and CO₂ processing typically consists of stored air tanks and CO₂ scrubbers. The drawback to this method lies in the fact that upon depletion the tanks would have to be refilled; the scrubbers would also require replacement after they've become ineffective. Carbon dioxide is an atmospheric gas comprised of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... Oxygen tanks are tanks which store compressed oxygen. ... Soda lime is a mixture of chemicals, used in granular form in closed breathing environments, such as general anaesthesia, submarines, rebreathers and recompression chambers, to remove carbon dioxide from breathing gases to prevent CO2 retention and carbon dioxide poisoning. ...

There is also the issue of processing toxic fumes, which come from the synthetic materials used in the construction of habitats. Therefore the issue of how air quality is maintained requires attention; in experiments, it was found that the plants also removed volatile organic compounds offgassed by synthetic materials used to build and maintain all man-made habitats. Generally, synthetic means pertaining to synthesis, i. ... The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a standardized index of the air quality in a given location, given in parts per billion. ... Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapour pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere. ...

In CELSS, air is initially supplied by external supply, but is maintained by the use of foliage plants, which create oxygen in photosynthesis (aided by the waste-byproduct of human respiration, CO₂). Eventually, the main goal of a CELSS environment is to have foliage plants take over the complete and total production of oxygen needs; this would make the system a closed, instead of controlled, system. This article is about the leaf, a plant organ. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance transparent (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... The leaf is the primary site of photosynthesis in plants. ... Respiration is the process by which an organism obtains energy by reacting oxygen with glucose to give water, carbon dioxide and ATP (energy). ...

Food / Consumables Production

As with all present forays into space, crews have had to store all consumables they require prior to launch. Typically, hard-food consumables were freeze dried so that the craft's weight could be reduced. Freeze drying (also known as Lyophilization) is a dehydration process typically used to preserve a perishable material, or to make the material more convenient for transport. ...

Of course, in a self-sustaining ecosystem, a place for crops to grow would be set aside, allowing foods to be grown and cultivated. The larger the group of people, the more crops would have to be grown.

As for water, experiments have shown that it would be derived from condensate in the air (a byproduct of air conditioning and vapors), as well as excess moisture from plants. It would then have to be filtered by some means, either by nature or by machine. Natural Gas Condensate (usually just condensate) is a by-product of natural gas. ... Note: in the broadest sense, air conditioning can refer to any form of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning. ...

Wastewater Treatment

Early space-flight had travelers either ejecting their wastes into space or storing it for a return trip.

CELSS studied means of breaking down human wastes and, if possible, integrating the processed products back into the ecology. For instance, urine was processed into water, which was safe for use in toilets and watering plants. Sewage treatment is the process that removes the majority of the contaminants from waste-water or sewage and produces both a liquid effluent suitable for disposal to the natural environment and a sludge. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Boeing 747 toilet A toilet is a plumbing fixture and a disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the bodily wastes; urine, fecal matter, vomit and menses. ...

Wastewater treatment makes use of plants, particularly aquatic, to process the wastewater. It has been shown that the more waste is treated by the aquatic plants (or, more specifically, their root systems), the larger the aquatic plants grow. Look up aquatic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In mathematics, a root system is a configuration of vectors in a Euclidean space satisfying certain geometrical properties. ...

In tests, such as those done in the BioHome, the plants also made viable compost as a growth medium for crops. BioHome was a small facility created by NASA that could support one person in a fully-functional habitat. ... A handful of compost A compost bin full of autumn oak leaves Compost is the decomposed remnants of organic materials (those with plant and animal origins). ... A growth medium is an object in which microorganisms or cells in experience growth. ...

Closed versus Controlled

Closed systems are completely self-reliant (an ultimate example of this system would be Earth "Biosphere 1" itself). Earth (often referred to as the earth) is the third planet in the solar system in terms of distance from the Sun, and the fifth largest. ... A biosphere is that part of a planets terrestrial system— including air, land and water— in which life develops, and which life processes in turn transform. ...

Controlled systems are dependent on certain factors, such as human involvement for maintenance issues. Maintenance see repair and maintenance Maintenance is a legal term of art that is used to describe child support and alimony (also called spousal support). ...

Notable CELSS Projects

For a full list of CELSS projects, see Category: CELSS.

• BioHome
• Biosphere 2
• BIOS-3
• Mars Base Zero
• Biosphere J

BioHome was a small facility created by NASA that could support one person in a fully-functional habitat. ... Biosphere 2 is a manmade closed ecological system in Oracle, Arizona built by John Polk Allen, Space Biosphere Ventures and others. ... BIOS-3 was a closed ecosystem at the Institute of Biophysics in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, in what was then the Soviet Union. ...

Other types of Regenerative Ecological Systems

• Environmental Control and Life Support System (acronym ECLSS)
• Engineered Closed/Controlled EcoSystem (acronym ECCES)

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Backronym and Apronym (Discuss) Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations, such as NATO, laser, and ABC, written as the initial letter or letters of words, and pronounced on the basis of this abbreviated written form. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Backronym and Apronym (Discuss) Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations, such as NATO, laser, and ABC, written as the initial letter or letters of words, and pronounced on the basis of this abbreviated written form. ...

Related Links

• Prado, Mark (2002). Ecological Issues and CELSS (HTML). PERMANENT Project. Retrieved on April 19, 2006.
• Prado, Mark (2002). Russian CELSS Studies (HTML). PERMANENT Project. Retrieved on April 19, 2006.
• Fitch, Chris (2003). Biospheres, Controlled Ecosystems, and Life Support Systems (HTML). Orbit 6. Retrieved on April 19, 2006.
• Functions of a CELSS (HTML). Mars Academy. Retrieved on April 19, 2006.
• Mars Base Zero (HTML). International Space Exploration and Colonization Co. (2005). Retrieved on April 19, 2006.