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The Oxygen Generator Subsystem (OGS) on the next Mars Lander will demonstrate the production of oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide using solid oxide electrolysis. The electrolyzer in OGS is based on a Yttria Stabilized Zirconia electrolyte and operates at 750°C. The electrolyzer is thermally cycled during every sol of operation between Mars ambient and operating temperature with a maximum of 15W electrical power. A package for this electrolyzer has been designed, built, and tested. It meets all the requirements of this experiment and weighs only slightly more than 1kg.

NASA scientists have previously researched biomass production units for the purpose of bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS). The University of Arizona, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (UA-CEAC) in cooperation with Sadler Machine Company (SMC) designed, constructed and assisted real-time operations of the South Pole Food Growth Chamber (SPFGC). The SPFGC is a semi-automated, hydroponic, multiple salad crop production chamber located within the U.S. National Science Foundation New Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Fresh vegetables are grown for the Station crew during the annual eight-month period of isolation in one of the most extreme and remote environments on Earth. An empirical mathematical model was developed from data monitored onsite and remotely by Internet and telecommunications during the winter of 2006.

The Prototype BLSS Lunar Greenhouse currently in operation at the University of Arizona - Controlled Environment Agriculture Center in Tucson, Arizona is an Advanced Life Support technology demonstration for supporting a sustained human presence at the future lunar science outpost. The focus of the investigation is to demonstrate water recycling, air revitalization, and food production using NASA targeted crops within a semi-closed system utilizing a scaled prototype lunar greenhouse design.

When oxygen for propulsion and life support needs is extracted from Martian resources, significant savings in launch mass and costs can be attained for both manned and unmanned missions. One method involves oxygen production from the carbon dioxide rich Martian atmosphere using solid oxide electrolysis. This paper presents a brief theory of this process followed by experimental results of the research performed on planar solid oxide electrochemical cells. Analysis and discussion of the experimental results is presented in an attempt to characterize the performance of solid oxide electrolyzers for oxygen separation from carbon dioxide.

The Hybrid Solar and Artificial Lighting (HYSAL) system used in this study consisted of a mirror-based Optical Waveguide (OW) Solar Lighting System as the solar component and four 60-W xenon-metal halide illuminators as the artificial-light component. A reference (or control) system consisted of a conventional 250-W high pressure sodium (HPS) lamp. Solar irradiance was harnessed whenever available for the HYSAL treatment. During the course of the 30-day growth period for lettuce (Lactuca sativa), the HYSAL's solar PPF varied with the natural fluctuations of terrestrial solar irradiance, which changed dramatically within each day and between days. When averaged over the entire growth period, the average instantaneous solar PPF for the HYSAL treatment turned out to be 322 μmol m−2 s−1 for an average daily photoperiod of only 3.86 hours owing to numerous cloudy days.

The evolution of lighting systems for Bioregenerative Space Life Support (BLSS) has been brought about by two major challenges confronting current BLSS models: (1) the extensive use of highly energy-intensive artificial lamps; and (2) the substantial energy wastes incurred through heat dissipations by these lamps, frequently dictating unnecessarily large, and costly, physical volumes for the plant growing structures. The results of our studies showed that Solar Irradiance Collection, Transmission and Distribution Systems (SICTDS) should be used to augment artificial lighting for growing plants in a BLSS to constitute a reliable, energy-efficient and mass-optimized Hybrid Solar and Artificial Lighting (HYSAL) system for a BLSS.

During the period July 2001 to March 2002, the performance of a water-jacketed high intensity discharge lamp of advanced design was evaluated within a lamp test stand at The University of Arizona (UA), Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) in Tucson, Arizona. The lamps and test stand system were developed by Mr. Phil Sadler of Sadler Machine Company, Tempe, Arizona, and supported by a Space Act Agreement between NASA-Johnson Space Center (JSC) and UA. The purpose was for long term testing of the prototype lamp and demonstration of an improved procedure for use of water-jacketed lamps for plant production within the close confines of controlled environment facilities envisioned by NASA within Bioregenerative Life Support Systems. The lamp test stand consisted of six, 400 watt water-cooled, high pressure sodium HID lamps, mounted within a framework.