Parametric Studies Using LiSSA for An Extra-Terrestrial Manned Outpost

Estimates of life-support system mass and power demands were generated using the Life Support Systems Analysis (LiSSA) tool for extra-terrestrial outposts. Parameters varied include the crew size, mission duration, power source, and operating-unit redundancy. Development of promising technologies could reduce launch costs by over $30 million but R&D investment is required. Biological food production technologies are power intensive requiring an order of magnitude more power than physical/chemical air/water regenerative systems. The cost of launching and operating a food production facility is justified by the cost of resupply of food if the mission duration is of the order of several years. A system utilizing food production is, by definition, a highly-recycled and closed-loop system; modeling efforts for such systems should rigorously keep track of all chemical species that have a significant impact on crew survival and processing demands.