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The New Jersey NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training (NJ-NSCORT) for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) was established at Rutgers University, with participation from Stevens Institute of Technology, in May 1996. Four research teams including Biomass Production, Food Processing and Nutrition, Waste Processing, and Systems Studies and Modeling were assembled to study issues related to human life support associated with long duration space missions. Each team is conducting a number of projects that address specific problems to the design of BLSS. The current tasks of the Systems Studies and Modeling (SSM) team are: to establish communications among NJ-NSCORT research teams, to develop system analysis methodologies, to develop hybrid fundamental/empirical models for individual subsystems of a BLSS, and to develop functional modules to manipulate information related to BLSS.

As ALS goals branch out to extended missions to the moon and Mars, concurrent science and engineering projects take center stage in the development of new ALS technology. It is necessary to optimize the interdisciplinary research activities in order to ensure ALS research goals are met in a timely manner, and to guarantee the reliability of future long term missions. The SSM team of the NJ-NSCORT has developed an internet software platform capable of performing a systems level analysis of the ALS research activity. The information produced by the analysis can assist ALS researchers in the streamlining of research activity.