Bubenheim D L
Advanced Life Support Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035.
Waste Manag Res. 1991 Oct;9(5):435-43. doi: 10.1177/0734242X9100900162.
During long-duration space missions that require recycling and regeneration of life support materials the major human wastes to be converted to usable forms are CO2, hygiene water, urine and feces. A Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) relies on the air revitalization, water purification and food production capabilities of higher plants to rejuvenate human wastes and replenish the life support materials. The key processes in such a system are photosynthesis, whereby green plants utilize light energy to produce food and oxygen while removing CO2 from the atmosphere, and transpiration, the evaporation of water from the plant. CELSS research has emphasized the food production capacity and efforts to minimize the area/volume of higher plants required to satisfy all human life support needs. Plants are a dynamic system capable of being manipulated to favour the supply of individual products as desired. The size and energy required for a CELSS that provides virtually all human needs are determined by the food production capacity. Growing conditions maximizing food production do not maximize transpiration of water; conditions favoring transpiration and scaling to recycle only water significantly reduces the area, volume, and energy inputs per person. Likewise, system size can be adjusted to satisfy the air regeneration needs. Requirements of a waste management system supplying inputs to maintain maximum plant productivity are clear. The ability of plants to play an active role in waste processing and the consequence in terms of degraded plant performance are not well characterized. Plant-based life support systems represent the only potential for self sufficiency and food production in an extra-terrestrial habitat.
在需要对生命保障材料进行循环利用和再生的长期太空任务中，需要转化为可用形式的主要人类废物是二氧化碳、卫生用水、尿液和粪便。受控生态生命保障系统（CELSS）依靠高等植物的空气再生、水净化和食物生产能力来使人类废物恢复生机并补充生命保障材料。这种系统中的关键过程是光合作用，即绿色植物利用光能生产食物和氧气，同时从大气中去除二氧化碳；以及蒸腾作用，即植物水分的蒸发。CELSS研究强调了食物生产能力以及尽量减少满足所有人类生命保障需求所需高等植物的面积/体积的努力。植物是一个动态系统，能够根据需要进行调控以利于提供所需的单个产品。一个几乎能满足所有人类需求的CELSS的规模和所需能量由食物生产能力决定。使食物产量最大化的生长条件并不会使水分的蒸腾作用最大化；有利于蒸腾作用且仅为循环利用水而扩大规模会显著减少每人所需的面积、体积和能量输入。同样，系统规模可以进行调整以满足空气再生需求。一个为维持植物最大生产力提供输入的废物管理系统的要求是明确的。植物在废物处理中发挥积极作用的能力以及对植物性能下降方面的影响尚未得到充分描述。基于植物的生命保障系统是外星栖息地实现自给自足和食物生产的唯一潜在途径。
