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For long time space missions, a reliable life support system including food supply, gas generation and waste management is necessary. For this purpose the MELiSSA (Micro-Ecological Life Support Alternative) concept has been conceived as a micro-organisms and higher plant based ecosystem intended as a tool for understanding the behavior of artificial ecosystems and for the development of the technology for a future biological life support systems. Based on an aquatic ecosystem, the MELiSSA loop is constituted of four microbial compartments, a higher plant compartment and the crew. The driving element is the recovery of food, water and oxygen from waste, like faeces, urine, non-edible plant material and CO2. Several scientific experiments indicate that a higher microbial growth rate is present in reduced gravity than on earth. This growth rate in reduced gravity can be twice the value obtained on earth.