Notional Environmental Control and Life Support System Architectures for Human Exploration beyond Low-Earth Orbit

Abstract

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Human Health, Life Support and Habitation System Technology Area 06 report identifies more reliable environmental control and life support (ECLS) systems as a critical need for crewed exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO). Future ECLS systems require highly reliable technologies that promote mission autonomy while reducing total system mass and logistical needs. The NASA Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program’s Life Support Systems (LSS) Project is developing technologies in focal areas of water processing, atmosphere revitalization, and environmental monitoring to address the technical challenges associated with the performance and reliability needs presented by future crewed exploration missions. The strategy to achieve the required advancements requires defining a common core functional architecture suitable for attaining exploration mission goals. These architectures provide a means for understanding and prioritizing the ECLS system technology advancements needed for various mission classes. The efforts taken by the LSS Project to define notional ECLS system architectures for crewed exploration missions beyond LEO are described and the role of the notional architectures for guiding future development is discussed.