This reference work gathers all of the latest technologies, information, definitions and explanations of spacecraft life support systems, while providing in-depth coverage of the current knowledge of the business of keeping astronauts alive during their missions. It is intended that this MRW be the go-to reference work not only for aerospace engineers, but also for graduate and undergraduate aerospace engineers and space scientists. The area of spacecraft life support is comprised of dozens of specialties and sub-specialties within the fields of engineering, biophysics and medicine. As space agencies around the world pursue cutting-edge life support technologies, much more information and data is accumulated. When humans move out into the solar system to stay for long durations, the most immediate challenge will be the provision of reliable and robust life support systems in locations devoid of food, air and water. These life support systems must provide these commodities in each phase of spaceflight, including intra-vehicular activity (IVA) and extra-vehicular activity (EVA). Systems supporting human life must also fulfill myriad requirements: exceptional reliability in the space environment, allowing maintenance and component replacement in space; reduced resupply mass of consumables and spares; the ability to utilize local planetary resources for self sufficiency; and minimized mass power and volume requirements. These requirements will assume ever greater importance as bolder missions are envisioned and more sophisticated life support systems are required. For example, the next decade could see human missions to Mars and a return to the Moon. In the not-so-distant future, there is the prospect of Mars One and the creation of a permanent extraterrestrial colony. It may appear that a suitable environment can be created simply by reproducing terrestrial environmental conditions within a vehicle. In reality, it is first necessary to define the environmental characteristics humans require and match these requirements with the myriad design constraints. This is no easy task, because implementing these environmental parameters within a spacecraft can be challenging, while balancing the various requirements and constraints can test the abilities of even the most gifted aerospace engineer. Yet it is a crucial field of study and the experts contributing to this volume are on the very front lines.
The Handbook of Life Support Systems fpr Extraterrestrial Habitats is gathering new chapters for it's coming edition. prospective authors are encouraged to contact the Editors-in-Chief Erik Seedhouse and David Shayler: dav.shayler@virginmedia.com.
Characteristics of a Vacuum Effects of Reduced Gravity
Characteristics of Galactic Cosmic and Solar Radiation Hazards of
Space Debris Lunar Environment, Overview Martian Environment,
Overview Characteristics of the Martian Surface Human Factors
Requirements Maintaining Crew Bone Health Maintenance of a
Breathable Atmosphere, Temperature and Water Supply Manned
Spaceflight Waste Management Minimizing Muscle Atrophy
Protecting Crew from Decompression Protecting Crews from Radiation
using Pharmacological Countermeasures Short and Long Duration Mission
Human Factors Requirements Spaceflight Nutritional Support
Classification and Overview of Spacecraft Life Support Systems
Russian Life Support Systems: Vostok, Voskhod, and Soyuz Early
American Life Support Systems: Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Russian
Life Support Systems of the 1970s and 1980s: Salyut and Mir Recent
American Life Support Systems: Skylab, Spacelab, and the Shuttle Life
Support Systems of the International Space Station Current Life
Support Systems of the 2000s: Orion, Dragon Essentials of Life
Support Systems: Carbon Dioxide Scrubbing Extravehicular Activity,
Overview Extravehicular Activity Prebreathe Protocols Landing
and Post-Landing Considerations for Manned Space Missions Artificial
Intelligence for Life Support Maintenance and Repair Commercial Life
Support Systems Hibernation and Torpor: Prospects for Human
Spaceflight Extravehicular Requirements: Lunar and Mars Future
Life Support Systems, Overview Hibernation Entry Procedures
In-space Maintenance and Repair of Life Support Systems Life Support
Systems for Manned Mars Missions, Overview Lunar Life Support
Requirements and Characteristics Bioprinting Mars One Mission and
Base Requirements Waste Management, Solid Waste Treatment
Water Walls, Overview Water Walls: Subsystems and Components
Monitoring Biometrics in Spaceflight Common Examples of
Physico-Chemical Systems Installed Aboard Submarines Examples of
Physico-Chemical Life Support Systems: International Space Station
High Pressure and Cryogenic Storage Methods of Water Management,
Water Recovery, and Quality Monitoring Algal and Microbial Systems
Bioregenerative Life Support Systems, Overview Modeling and Design
of Bioregenerative Life Support Systems System Challenges
Effects of Space on Biological Plant Processes: Gravity and Radiation
Biological Experiments in Space: NASA Biological Experiments in
Space: ESA Biological Experiments in Space: Russia Designing a
Closed Ecological Life Support System for Plants, Overview Growth
Area, Growth Media, Hydroponics, Aeroponics and Zeoponics Crop
Selection in Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems Water
Recovery and Waste Processing Animals as Food Aquaculture
Systems Food Management and Processing: Production, Storage and
Processing Crew Time/Monitoring Autonomous Monitoring
Systems/Intelligent Control/AI Atmosphere, Temperature, Humidity and
Lighting Requirements EDEN ISS: A Plant Cultivation Technology for
Spaceflight Biological Experiments in Space, China Space Suits
and Life Support: Basic Concepts of IVA vs. EVA Mechanical Counter
Pressure Life Support Systems for Russian IVA/EVA Space Suits
Working Outside a Spacecraft or Space Habitat Extra-Vehicular
Mobility Units, Overview Design Requirements EVA Suit
Operations Airlock Design and Operations Lessons Learned from
Previous and Current Spacesuit Designs Spacesuits in Development and
Future Trends Future Trends in Spacesuit Design: The Biosuit
EVA Propulsion and Mobility Non-Suited EVA Commercial Suit
Providers US Space Suits Bios-1, 2 and 3 Closed Ecology
Experiment Facility (CEEF): Research and Lessons Learned Controlled
Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF) CESRF Habitat, Research
and Lessons Learned Mars Academy USA Analog Training MDRS
Lessons Learned Survivability and Adaptation of Humans to
Long-Duration Exploratory Missions (HUMEX), Overview HUMEX Reference
Mission Design, Research and Lessons Learned Micro-Ecological Life
Support Alternative (MELISSA), Overview MELISSA Phase by Phase,
Research and Lessons Learned MARS500 and 105, Overview NASA
Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO), Overview Aquarius
Habitat NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO): Fields
of Life Support Research Advanced Life Support University Centers,
Overview Env Systems Commercial Space Technology Center at the
University of Florida Biosphere II Habitat, Research and Lessons
Learned Logistics of Reproduction in Space Psychosocial
Resilience
Dr. Erik Seedhouse worked as an Astronaut Training Consultant for Bigelow Aerospace in 2005, a company for whom he wrote the Spaceflight Participants Flight Surgeons Manual, and also prepared many reports and oversaw training in his years with the DRDC. Erik is a research scientist specializing in environmental life sciences and physiology, the subject in which he obtained his Ph.D. in Physiology while working for the European Space Agency between 1996 and 1998. In 2009, he was one of the final candidates for selection as an astronaut in the CSAs Astronaut Recruitment Campaign. He is a certified commercial suborbital astronaut who will fly a payload mission in 2014. He is also Training Director for Astronauts for Hire and, for the last four years, served as Director of Canadas Manned Centrifuge Operations. David J. Shayler has been following the shuttle operational story for over 30 years and in particular aspects of its relationship with space stations. Shayler joined the British Interplanetary Society in 1976 and has participated in numerous activities, programs and projects including chairing meetings, working on committees and contributing to society publications. Dozens of his articles have appeared in BIS publications since 1977. He created Astro Info Service in October 1982 to focus his space writing and research, with lectures and educational outreach activities. Early publications included the periodicals ORBITER (on the Shuttle) and ZENIT (on Soviet activities), and a growing range of biographies on the world's space explorers. In 1990 he co-created the Midland Spaceflight Society and acts as its chairman. His first books were published in 1987 by Ian Allen and Salamander Books and since then over 20 titles have been authored including 13 titles in the Praxis Space Library between 2000 and 2009. He has also contributed to U. S. books and collections on human spaceflight including the three editions of Macmillans Whos Who in Space edited by Michael Cassutt. In 2008 his authorised biography on Skylab astronaut Jerry Carr was published after 20 years research. Personal research has been conducted at NASA JSC in Houston and at KSC in Florida, as well as at Rice and Clear Lake Universities and NARA archives in Texas. His research has also allowed him to complete a fascinating and informative visit to Russia in 2003 visiting the Cosmonaut Training Center and other facilities around Moscow.
