Biological-physical-chemical aspects of a human life support system for a lunar base

To create a life support system based on biological and physical-chemical processes is the optimum solution providing full-valued conditions for existence and efficient work of people at a lunar base. Long-standing experience in experimental research or closed ecosystems and their components allows us to suggest a realistic functional structure of the lunar base and to estimate qualitatively its parameters. The original restrictions are as follows: 1) the basic source of energy to support the biological processes has to be the solar radiation; 2) the initial amount of basic biological elements forming the turnover of substances (C, O, H, P, K, N) has to be delivered from Earth; 3). Moon materials are not to be used in the biological turnover inside the base; 4) the base is to supply the crew fully with atmosphere and water, and with 90% (A scenario) or 40% (B scenario) of food. Experimental data about the plant productivity under the "Moon" rhythm of light and darkness allow us to suggest that the A scenario requires per one human: plant area--40 m2 irradiated during the lunar day by 250-300 W/m2 PAR producing 1250 g of dry biomass a terrestrial day; a heterotrophic component of "biological incineration" of inedible plant biomass (800 g/day) including the aquaculture of fish to produce animal products and contaminating the environment less than birds and mammals, and the culture of edible mushrooms; a component of physical-chemical correction for the LSS environment including the subsystems of: deep oxidation of organic impurities in the atmosphere and of water, organic wastes of human activity and that biological components (420 g/day) CO2 concentration in "Moon" nights, damping O2 in "Moon" days, etc. The stock of prestored or delivered from Earth substances (food additions, seeds, etc.) to be involved in biological turnover is to be about 50 kg/year per man. Increase of the mass of prestored substances per man up to 220 kg/year would reduce twice the plant area and consumed amount of radiant energy to exclude the components of "biological incineration" and physical-chemical destruction of organic wastes.