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Bioregenerative food system cost based on optimized menus for advanced life support
Geoffrey C R Waters1, Ammar Olabi, Jean B Hunter
1University of Guelph, Department of Plant Agriculture, Division of Horticultural Science, Ontario, Canada. waters@ces.uoguelph.ca
Life Support & Biosphere Science : International Journal of Earth Space
|December 17, 2002
Summary
Optimized menus for bioregenerative life support systems require 453 m2 of crop production for six crew. Future reductions in system costs are possible through improved crop productivity and streamlined operations.
Area of Science:
- Space exploration
- Bioregenerative life support systems
- Sustainable food production
Background:
- Developing sustainable food sources is critical for long-duration space missions.
- Bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) aim to recycle resources for crew survival.
- Current non-regenerative systems (e.g., Space Transportation System, International Space Station) have limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize menu planning for a BLSS.
- To determine crop production area and system costs.
- To identify areas for cost reduction in BLSS food production.
Main Methods:
- Menu optimization based on crop productivity, acceptability, diversity, and crew nutritional needs.
- Calculation of crop biomass requirements considering processing and preparation losses.
- Estimation of system costs, including equipment, labor, power, and cooling.
Main Results:
- An optimized menu requires 453 m2 of crop production area for six crew.
- The estimated cost is 7.3 kg per crew per day (ESM), including waste processing.
- Equipment (60%), labor (26%), and power/cooling (14%) constitute the main cost factors.
Conclusions:
- The developed optimized menu provides a framework for BLSS food production.
- Current system costs are higher than non-regenerative systems but offer potential for reduction.
- Improvements in crop productivity, equipment efficiency, and operational planning can lower overall BLSS food system costs.
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