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Updated: Jul 24, 2026
07:34
Evaluation of Integrated Anaerobic Digestion and Hydrothermal Carbonization for Bioenergy Production
Published on: June 15, 2014
Technology tradeoffs related to advanced mission waste processing.
1Boeing Defense and Space Group, Seattle, Washington 98124, USA.
Summary
Space missions generate waste, necessitating solutions like storage or conversion to useful products for short durations. Longer missions require closed ecological systems for near-complete waste recycling to sustain life support.
Area of Science:
- Space Exploration
- Environmental Engineering
- Life Support Systems
Background:
- Manned space missions, whether to the Moon or Mars, inevitably produce liquid and solid waste from life support functions.
- Even advanced physico-chemical life support systems and those utilizing in situ resources generate waste, posing a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the extent and impact of life support system waste production for a lunar base.
- To evaluate different life support system configurations, including those using in situ resources.
- To analyze trade-offs among various physico-chemical waste processing technologies for space applications.
Main Methods:
- Briefly discusses waste production extent and impact for a lunar base under various life support configurations.
- Details the impact of using in situ resources on waste generation.
- Provides a detailed discussion on trade-offs for six funded physico-chemical waste processing technologies.
Main Results:
- Short-term mission waste solutions involve on-site storage or conversion to usable products (e.g., methane, water, propulsion gases).
- Long-term mission solutions focus on integrating waste into closed ecological life support systems for maximum material recycling.
- Analysis of six physico-chemical waste processing technologies highlights critical trade-offs for space implementation.
Conclusions:
- Effective waste management is crucial for the sustainability of long-duration manned space missions.
- The choice of life support system configuration significantly influences waste production and management strategies.
- Physico-chemical waste processing technologies offer viable solutions, but their selection requires careful consideration of mission-specific trade-offs.
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