What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to design a Fully Integrated Bioregenerative Life Support System (FI-BLSS) that enhances resource efficiency for crew support in space environments.

May 9, 2026Open Access

Model and Design of a Fully Integrated Bioregenerative Life Support System using an Agent-based Model of a Physico-chemical and Bioregenerative ECLSS

Key Points

This research aims to design a Fully Integrated Bioregenerative Life Support System (FI-BLSS) that enhances resource efficiency for crew support in space environments.
Developed a model utilizing agent-based simulations to assess bioregenerative subsystems.
Integrated mushroom and aquaculture systems to enhance biomass production and recycling.
Created a physical testbed design for future implementation and experimentation.
Achieved higher closure rates by incorporating diverse biological systems.
Validated the Scalable, Interactive Model of an Off-world Community (SIMOC) for system analysis.
Set groundwork for future physical construction to enhance bioregenerative systems research.

Abstract

Research on bioregenerative life support systems has focused on individual subsystems that often struggle to produce all the required consumables to support the crew. Different biological systems (e.g., algae, higher plants) perform differently and approaches that integrate multiple types of organisms such as BIOS, MELiSSA, and the Lunar PALACE have seen greater success. Furthering this integrative trend, the modeling and design a Fully Integrated Bioregenerative Life Support System (FI-BLSS) utilizing separate yet connected biologically based subsystems was completed to enhance closure and optimize system output. The project sought to integrate mushroom and aquaculture subsystems to provide additional sources of edible biomass (especially proteins) with focus placed on maximizing the remediation and recycling of inedible biomass. This paper describes the third part of this research project following that discussed in ICES-2023-274 https://hdl.handle.net/2346/94695. This is the complete modeling and design of a FI-BLSS. Initial experiments were conducted to inform and validate a tool called Scalable, Interactive Model of an Off-world Community (SIMOC) designed to use agent-based modeling to analyze habitat life support systems. Following these experiments, a full system design was developed using SIMOC. As a first step towards bringing this system into the physical world, the design of a physical testbed was created including a complete parts list and the associated costs. While the full-scale physical construction and test was not part of this current research project, this work sets the stage for the system to be integrated into a facility such as the Space Analog for Moon and Mars (SAM). It is envisioned that this construction would be used by researchers as a testbed for experimentation and system optimization. The construction will have impacts at other analog bases by increasing the availability of tools to facilitate FI-BLSS design and impact indoor and closed-loop terrestrial agriculture."

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