Biologically Reliable Integration and Design for Growth Environments in Space (BRIDGES)

Establishing sustainable architectures beyond existing environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) into closed ecological environments is of utmost importance for long duration human spaceflight. BRIDGES facilitates the progress from regenerative physicochemical processes to a modular hybrid framework that incorporates a new system; biological life. Modular systems will support scalability and enable increased system closure in both ground-based analogs and reduced gravity environments. This approach seeks to characterize the dominant gas and water dynamics in the microclimate surrounding microgreens by monitoring them in small controlled volumes in test environments. Microgreens are quick and practical sources of edible biomass with high nutritional value, ease of handling, short seed-to-feed period, and minimal resource requirements. Envisioning sensor specifications, locations, and frequency of data acquisition will be the immediate focus to determine the degree of time sensitivity required for autonomous or human response to adverse conditions. Understanding the impact on the ECLSS control algorithm and cultivation feedback loops will be critical for future design considerations that can accommodate the needs of all life. In turn this increases the safety of the crew by detecting and overcoming faults, failures or other issues that will reinforce overall system reliability. In summation, BRIDGES aims to standardize the evolution of life support systems using smart agriculture to establish a ground control setup with capabilities such as data acquisition, controls and automation, systemic impact, and risk mitigation. This will lead to a better understanding of synergies between the built environment and the natural environment before introducing ecological habitats on the Moon and Mars.