ASTROHAB-0 - A MODULAR RESEARCH PAYLOAD FOR LEO PURPOSES AS PRE-STAGE OF A LATER LUNAR LIFE SCIENCES RESEARCH AND LIFE SUPPORT UNIT

摘要

For exploratory expeditions, far away from earth and thus from a possibility of material transport into the closed habitats, sustainable and stable life support systems will be essential to maintain an oxygenic atmosphere, remove carbon dioxide, produce biomass for food and feed etc..Such systems will be based mainly on higher plants and microalgae, thus photosynthesis, a process by which energy is converted and stored in chemical bonds. Complex space radiation and other stressors can damage PSII as one of the cell compartments where photosynthesis take part. Subsequently, photosynthetic efficiency and thus energy conversion would be reduced. Thus, plants, but also other organisms foreseen to be used in life support systems during exploratory missions, needs to be investigated with respect to their adaptation potential and behavior under this complex mix of environmental conditions (microgravity, radiation, temperature, vacuum etc.). For referring long-term exposure studies, the International Space Station with its internal and external facilities is a well suited starting point.The evolution of a respective research payload for later exploratory missions to outer space bodies is analyzed and a concept prepared for being later part of larger scaled Bioregenerative Life Support Systems including higher plants and animals was developed.