Towards Self-Reliance Beyond Earth: Standardizing Controls for Plant Growth Systems using BRIDGES

As humanity progresses towards establishing permanent settlements on the lunar surface and Mars, the demand for precise Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems becomes increasingly critical. This underscores the necessity to address key technological gaps to bolster the long-term reliability of Space Farming (SF) systems. This paper focuses on implementing systematic strategies to effectively control CEA based on space mission scenarios. The BRIDGES methodology is introduced as a strategic and practical approach to tackle inherent reproducibility issues and the extensive data demands in this field. This sets the foundation for understanding the current capabilities of SF research and its transition towards a fully bio-regenerative system independent of physicochemical (PC) processes. A framework called SpaCEA is proposed to standardize the integration of CEA into a space environment, specifically outlining standardization for Illumination Systems (ILS), Atmosphere Management Systems (AMS), Nutrient Delivery Systems (NDS), and the Greenhouse Control Unit (GCU). While the physical implementation may differ among designs, practical operation ranges are defined to aggregate data between designs for future control system development and to ensure operational performance in production. This encompasses varying levels of automation, models, software and hardware solutions, and their integration with existing simulation tools, economic models, and broader habitation systems. In conclusion, the utilization of BRIDGES offers a robust solution in the form of an oriented methodology, to anticipate significant strides towards sustainable and responsive space farming. Thus, this study identifies potential opportunities within the scope of SF and highlights its potential to revolutionize space exploration, paving the way for human self-reliance beyond Earth's boundaries.