BLiSS+Questions

A __B__ioregenerative __Li__fe __S__upport __S__ystem (BLiSS) for // MoonWorld //
Updated list of questions - 3 August 2011 How much oxygen does one person need to support one hour of mobile activity?

How much carbon dioxide does one person respire over a one hour period of mobile activity?

In a closed, biological life support system, what role could plants play in generating oxygen from respired carbon dioxide?

NASA has conducted years of advanced life support research on these four crops: wheat, potatoes, soy beans, and lettuce. How would you design a life support system to provide oxygen for teams of four to visit the MoonWorld lunar station on a continuous basis over a one-year period?

Below is a list of questions that the NASA-sponsored Classroom of the Future //MoonWorld// lunar base will address. The questions in ** green ** are anticipated to be addressed in the Phase 1 development. The questions in ** orange ** are anticipated to be addressed in the Phase 2 development. What is the relationship between humans and plants? What makes a plant-based life support system potentially regenerative for long period of time? What kind of oxygen, water, and nutrient needs does a typical human have? What are the key features of the four plant types featured in the MoonWorld BLiSS (bioregnerative life support system) area? How much water does 10 square meters of lettuce, produce from seed to seed of the plant growth cycle? How much oxygen does a square meter of wheat (vs. potato, lettuce, or soy, or a combination of these plants) produce from seed to seed of the plant growth cycle? What does a plant-based life support system look like? What is the optimal crop plan for maximizing oxygen production? What is the optimal crop plan for maximizing water production? What is the optimal crop plan for maximizing nutritional production from the four plant groups? What is the most cost-effective crop production schedule? Besides providing consistent and controlled lighting for the plants, what other systems would be required to support a lunar habitat housing a human crew? What are the major functional components of a plant-based life support system? What kind of technical expertise is required for the design and maintenance of a plant-based life support system?