Environmental Control and Life Support for an Evolutionary Space Station

The requirements for the Space Station are being defined. The Environmental Control/Life Support System (ECLSS) is one of its 13 systems. The ECLSS is further divided into five functional categories. Major ones are the Air Revitalization and Water Reclamation Systems. The paper presents ECLSS performance requirements, average design loads and fluids interfaces. The major cost savings of regenerable ECLSS techniques versus the open loop approach are quantified. Issues impacting ECLSS design are cited.

Priority regenerable ECLSS developments are reviewed including the Electrochemical CO₂ Concentrator, Static Feed Electrolyzer and Automated Control/Monitor Instrumentation. Baseline and alternative approaches are cited.

The ECLSS planning issues are reviewed including functional boundaries, planning schedule, technology maturity definition and technology gaps. The paper concludes with a review of water electrolysis as a Space Station utility impacting ECLSS design.