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For future extended duration, manned missions, development of life support systems that require minimum expendables, power, weight and volume are essential. The ability to produce useful materials with minimum processing by using metabolic and life support byproducts is also of great importance. Life Systems, working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Johnson Space Center, has been investigating various combinations of physical, chemical, electrochemical and biological methods for this purpose. (I)* This paper describes a closed ecosystem air revitalization concept, called a Hybrid Air Revitalization System, that uses higher plants in a plant habitat for removing metabolic carbon dioxide and moisture for their photosynthesis while producing oxygen and supplemental food for crew consumption.

For long-duration space explorations such as the advanced manned missions to the moon and Mars, fully optimized environmental conditions and control systems are essential. This approach will not only maximize the efficiencies of the crew and other systems, but also minimize the requirements for power, weight, volume and expendables. Life Systems, working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Johnson Space Center, has been investigating ways to apply various physical, chemical and electrochemical methods for this purpose. This paper presents a description of a closed ecosystem concept that includes electrochemical CO2 and O2 separators and a moisture condenser/separator for maintaining CO2, O2 and humidity levels in the crew and plant habitats at their respective optimal conditions. This concept was developed as a part of the Advanced Electrochemical CO2 Removal Process Study program sponsored by NASA-JSC.