TOPIC: X12 Life Support and Habitation

• Atmosphere revitalization process integration to achieve energy and logistics mass reductions;
  
• Separation of carbon dioxide from a mixture primarily of nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor to maintain carbon dioxide concentrations below 0.3% by volume;.
  
• Recovery of oxygen from carbon dioxide including approaches to deal with by-products of the process;
  
• Regenerable processes for removing trace chemical components from cabin air and/or gas product streams from other systems (e.g., water reclamation, waste management, etc.);
  
• Regenerable, re-usable, particulate filters for air;
  
• Novel approaches to suspended particulate matter removal from cabin and habitat atmospheres, including approaches to isolating cabin and habitat living areas from external dust sources such as Martian or lunar soil; and
  
• Methods of storage and delivery of atmospheric gases to reduce mass and volume and improve safety.
  

• Liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers that provide two physical barriers preventing inter-path leakage;
  
• Advanced technologies to control cabin temperature and humidity in microgravity. Condensate that is collected must be able to be recovered and transported to the water recovery system;
  
• Alternate methods of atmospheric humidity control that do not use liquid-to-air heat exchanger (dependent on the spacecraft active thermal control system) or mechanical refrigeration technology;
  
• Technologies to inhibit microbial growth on wetted surfaces. Applications include condensate collection surfaces for humidity control and heat exchangers resident in water loops;
  
• Lightweight, versatile, and efficient heat acquisition devices including flexible cold plates, to provide cooling to electronics, motors, and other types of heat producing equipment that is internal to the cabin;
  
• Lightweight, controllable, evaporative heat rejection devices that can operate in environments ranging from space, Mars' atmosphere, and Earth's atmosphere;
  
• Alternative heat transfer fluids that are non-toxic, non-flammable, and have a low freezing temperature;
  
• Energy storage devices that maintain the integrity of food or science samples. For maintenance of temperatures of -20°C, -40°C, -80°C or -180°C;
  
• Highly accurate, remotely monitored, in situ, non-intrusive thermal instrumentation; and
  
• Low-energy, low-noise, high-capacity fans or similar devices for moving air.
  

• Radiation protection technologies that protect the suited crewmember from radiation;
  
• Puncture protection technologies that provide self-sealing capabilities when a puncture occurs and minimizes punctures and cuts from sharp objects;
  
• Dust and abrasion protection materials or technologies to exclude or remove dust and withstand abrasion; and prevent dust adhesion; and
  
• Flexible space suit thermal insulation suitable for use in vacuum and low ambient pressure.
  

• Space suit low profile bearings that maximize rotation necessary for partial gravity mobility requirements and are lightweight.
  

• Long-life and high-capacity chemical oxygen storage systems for an emergency supply of oxygen for breathing;
  
• Low-venting or non-venting regenerable individual life support subsystem(s) concepts for crewmember cooling, heat rejection, and removal of expired water vapor and CO₂;
  
• Fuel cell technology that can provide power to a space suit and other EVA support systems;
  
• Lightweight convection and freezable radiators for thermal control;
  
• Innovative garments that provide direct thermal control to crewmember;
  
• High reliability pumps and fans that provide flow for a space suit but can be stacked to give greater flow for a vehicle;
  
• CO₂ and humidity control devices that, while minimizing expendables function in a CO₂ environment; and
  
• Variable conductivity flexible suit garment that can function as a radiator for high metabolic loads and as an insulator during period of low physical activity and low metabolic rates.
  

• Space suit mounted displays for use both inside and outside the space suit-outside mounted displays will be compatible with the space environment;
  
• CO₂, bio-med (heart rate and blood oxygen level), radiation monitoring, and core temperature sensors with reduced size, lightweight, increased reliability, decreased wiring, and packaging flexibility;
  
• Visible spectrum camera that provides environment awareness for crewmembers and the public and are integratable into a spacesuit that is lightweight and low power;
  
• Lightweight sensor systems that detects N₂, CO₂, NH₄, O₂, ammonia, hydrazine partial pressures, including self-powered sensors;
  
• Lightweight, low power, radio and laser communications with the capability to integrate audio, video, and data on the same data stream to provide reliable communications between the crew and a lander or habitat; and
  
• Low power, lightweight, radiation hardened, or radiation tolerant informatics computer systems with standard graphics outputs and standard audio inputs and outputs, capable of running commercial operating systems and applications.
  

• Robot control by EVA crewmember via voice control or other methods;
  
• Minimum gas loss airlocks providing quick exit and entry and can accommodate an incapacitated crewmember; and
  
• Work tools that assist the EVA crewmember during operations in zero gravity and at worksites; specifically, devices that provide temporary attachments, which rigidly restrain equipment to other equipment and the EVA crewmember, and that contain provisions for tethering and storage of loose articles such as tool sockets.
  

• Systems and technologies for providing an EVA crewmember real-time navigation and position information while traversing on foot or a rover; and
  
• Systems and technologies for managing and locating tools during planetary surface science and maintenance EVA sorties.
  

• Quantifying the effects of microgravity, 1/6-g (lunar) and 1/3-g (Martian) on the ignitability of materials and the subsequent flame spread, particularly related to determining relevant low-gravity behavior from normal gravity tests;
  
• Improving the performance of spacecraft fire safety systems through the development of advanced fire detection and suppression systems and strategies as well as predicting the effects of smoke and precursor generation and transport; and
  
• Developing techniques for creating and analyzing the effectiveness of fire resistant materials and coatings, including fire prevention techniques, for spacecraft structures, radiation shielding materials, paneling, fabrics (cotton, paper, synthetics), foams, etc.
  

• Application of Free Form Fabrication (FFF) methods to low gravity (3/8 and 1/6 g level) manufacturing of near net shape products and spare parts from in situ derived resources or provisional feedstock;
  
• Processes for extracting in situ resources into raw materials and feedstock for use with rapid prototyping technology;
  
• Extension of fused deposition methods to the use of binderless metal wire feed stock;
  
• Adaptation of ultrasonic consolidation methods to use narrow ribbon metal feedstock to reduce subsequent machining operations and waste;
  
• Novel and innovative in situ repair methods such as but not limited to: welding, composite repair, and self healing materials;
  
• Development of highly automated habitat construction methods that incorporates in situ materials on surface or primary structure may use in situ construction;
  
• Development of dust mitigation techniques applicable to planetary habitat construction;
  
• Integration of radiation shielding materials into habitat construction methods; and
  
• Innovative approaches for recycling of materials for secondary uses.
  

• Control strategies for closed-loop systems - closed loop and biological systems have different constraints and control paradigms than conventional processes. There is a need for new control algorithms, analyses, design methodologies, strategies, and techniques to provide this capability;
  
• Ontologies for integrated operations - human exploration missions involve hundreds of systems developed by dozens of organizations. To develop software that can integrate across these systems and integrate with operations requires the use of common terminology across multiple disciplines. A common ontology must be developed to enable the integration of control of advanced life support systems; and
  
• Development and integration of autonomous system and inter-system control with crew and ground operations - there is a need for tools, architectures, and technologies that can support the integration of operations between crew, ground operators, ground applications, and on-board applications.
  

• Crop lighting, such as LED, solar collectors and innovative technologies. Lighting transmission and distribution systems, luminaries, fiber optics, water jackets, and other heat removal technologies are also areas of interest;
  
• Water and nutrient management systems such as hydroponics and/or solid substrates for food production and separation of nutrients from waste streams are solicited. In this area, regenerable media for seed germination plant support are also of interest as is separation and recovery of usable minerals from wastewater and solid waste products for use as a source of mineral nutrients. Consideration should be given tor systems operation in microgravity and hypogravity (1/6 g on Moon, 3/8 g on Mars) environments; and
  
• Other areas of interest: crop mechanization and automation, facility or system sanitation, crop health measurement, flight equipment support, structures and environmental monitoring and control technologies that are specific to crop systems (e.g., ethylene detection and removal, sensors for root zone oxygen and water content, etc.).
  

• Safe, nutritious, acceptable, and varied shelf-stable foods with a shelf life of 3 to 5 years will be required to support the crew during future exploration missions to the Moon or Mars. Shelf-life extension may be attained through food preservation methods and/or packaging. Packaging materials must provide sufficient oxygen and water barrier properties to maintain shelf life. Food packaging technologies are needed that minimize a potentially significant trash management problem by using packaging with less mass and volume and/or by using packaging that is biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable;
  
• Processing crops or bulk ingredients into edible food ingredients or table-ready products will be necessary to provide a self-sustaining food system for an exploration mission. Equipment that is highly reliable, safe, automated, and minimizes crew time, power, water, mass, and volume will be required. Equipment for processing raw materials must be suitable for use in hypogravity (e.g., 1/6g on Moon, 3/8g on Mars) and in hermetically sealed habitats;
  
• Food preparation systems will be required to heat and rehydrate the shelf stable food items and to prepare meals from the processed and re-supplied items. Technologies to support on-orbit crew meal storage, preparation, dining activities, and trash dispensing are being sought;and
  
• Food quality and safety are essential components in the maintenance of crew health and well being. Efforts should be focused on control of food spoilage and food quality throughout the entire shelf life of the food. Effects of radiation on crop functionality and the stored food system quality are also needed.
  

• Novel methods of process design and integration to minimize trace contaminant carryover from the cabin atmosphere leading to reduced logistics needs;
  
• Physicochemical methods for primary wastewater treatment to reduce total organic carbon from 1000 mg/L to less than 50 mg/L and/or total dissolved solids from 1000 mg/L to less than 100 mg/L;
  
• Post-treatment methods to reduce total organic carbon from 100 mg/L to less than 0.25 mg/L in the presence of 50 mg/L bicarbonate ions, 25 mg/L ammonium ions and 25 ppm other inorganic ions;
  
• Methods for the phase separation of solids, gases, and liquids in a microgravity environment that are insensitive to fouling mechanisms;
  
• Methods for the recovery of water from brine solutions;
  
• Methods to eliminate or manage solids precipitation in wastewater lines;
  
• Disinfection technologies for potable water storage and point-of-use. Residual disinfectants for potable water that is compatible with processing systems including biological treatment; and
  
• Techniques to minimize or eliminate biofilm and microbial contamination from potable water and water treatment systems, including components such as pipes, tanks, flow meters, check valves, regulators, etc.
  

• Volume reduction of wet and dry solid wastes;
  
• Small and compact fecal collection and/or treatment systems;
  
• Water recovery from wet wastes (including human fecal wastes, food packaging, brines, etc.);
  
• Stabilization, sterilization, and/or microbial control technologies to minimize or eliminate biological hazards (to the crew, to Mars, to Earth) associated with waste;
  
• Mineralization of wastes (especially fecal) to ash and simple gaseous compounds (e.g. CO₂, CH₄);
  
• Containment of solid wastes onboard the spacecraft that incorporates odor abatement technology;
  
• Containment devices or systems, with low volume and mass, that can maintain isolation of disposed waste on planetary surfaces (such as Mars); and
  
• Microgravity-compatible technologies for the containment and jettison of solid wastes in space.
  

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