MELISSA: Current Status and Future Development Program 932126
The MELISSA (Microbial Ecological LIfe Support System Alternative) project has been set up to be a model for the studies on ecological life support systems for long term space missions. The compartmentalisation of the loop, the choice of the micro-organisms and the axenic conditions have been selected in order to simplify the behaviour of this artificial ecosystem and allow a deterministic and engineering approach. In this framework the MELISSA project has now been running since beginning 1989.
In this paper we present the general approach of the study, the scientific results obtained on each independent compartment (mass balance, growth kinetics, limitations, compound conversions,..), the tests of toxicity already performed between some compartments and their effect on the growth kinetics. The technical results on instrumentation and control aspects, and the current status of the ESA/ESTEC hardware are also reviewed. Finally, based on this first balance of results, we propose our main axis of research for the next coming years.
Citation: Lasseur, C., Tamponnet, C., and Savage, C., "MELISSA: Current Status and Future Development Program," SAE Technical Paper 932126, 1993, https://doi.org/10.4271/932126. Download Citation
Author(s):
Ch. Lasseur, C. Tamponnet, C. Savage
Affiliated:
ESA/ESTEC
Pages: 12
Event:
International Conference On Environmental Systems
ISSN:
0148-7191
e-ISSN:
2688-3627
Also in:
SAE 1993 Transactions: Journal of Aerospace-V102-1
Related Topics:
Life support systems
Biological sciences
Hardware
Research and development
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