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Lombini M, Schreiber L, Albertini R, Alessi EM, Attinà P, Bianco A, Cascone E, Colucci ME, Cortecchia F, De Caprio V, Diolaiti E, Fiorini M, Lessio L, Macchi A, Malaguti G, Mongelluzzo G, Pareschi G, Pelizzo MG, Pasquarella C. Solar ultraviolet light collector for germicidal irradiation on the moon. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8326. [PMID: 37221252 PMCID: PMC10204019 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35438-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Prolonged human-crewed missions on the Moon are foreseen as a gateway for Mars and asteroid colonisation in the next decades. Health risks related to long-time permanence in space have been partially investigated. Hazards due to airborne biological contaminants represent a relevant problem in space missions. A possible way to perform pathogens' inactivation is by employing the shortest wavelength range of Solar ultraviolet radiation, the so-called germicidal range. On Earth, it is totally absorbed by the atmosphere and does not reach the surface. In space, such Ultraviolet solar component is present and effective germicidal irradiation for airborne pathogens' inactivation can be achieved inside habitable outposts through a combination of highly reflective internal coating and optimised geometry of the air ducts. The Solar Ultraviolet Light Collector for Germicidal Irradiation on the Moon is a project whose aim is to collect Ultraviolet solar radiation and use it as a source to disinfect the re-circulating air of the human outposts. The most favourable positions where to place these collectors are over the peaks at the Moon's poles, which have the peculiarity of being exposed to solar radiation most of the time. On August 2022, NASA communicated to have identified 13 candidate landing regions near the lunar South Pole for Artemis missions. Another advantage of the Moon is its low inclination to the ecliptic, which maintains the Sun's apparent altitude inside a reduced angular range. For this reason, Ultraviolet solar radiation can be collected through a simplified Sun's tracking collector or even a static collector and used to disinfect the recycled air. Fluid-dynamic and optical simulations have been performed to support the proposed idea. The expected inactivation rates for some airborne pathogens, either common or found on the International Space Station, are reported and compared with the proposed device efficiency. The results show that it is possible to use Ultraviolet solar radiation directly for air disinfection inside the lunar outposts and deliver a healthy living environment to the astronauts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Lombini
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Laura Schreiber
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberto Albertini
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Elisa Maria Alessi
- Istituto di Matematica Applicata e Tecnologie Informatiche "E. Magenes" - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milan, Italy
| | - Primo Attinà
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, LC, Italy
| | - Andrea Bianco
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, LC, Italy
| | - Enrico Cascone
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Fausto Cortecchia
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Caprio
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Emiliano Diolaiti
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Mauro Fiorini
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Lessio
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Alberto Macchi
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, LC, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Malaguti
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Mongelluzzo
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pareschi
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, LC, Italy
| | - Maria G Pelizzo
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, Università di Padova, Padua, Italy
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Poulet L, Zeidler C, Bunchek J, Zabel P, Vrakking V, Schubert D, Massa G, Wheeler R. Crew time in a space greenhouse using data from analog missions and Veggie. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2021; 31:101-112. [PMID: 34689942 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Crew time requirements for human space exploration missions is as critical as mass, energy, and volume requirements. However, it has only been sporadically recorded in past analog and space missions for plant cultivation. In this retrospective study on crew time data collected in various analog facilities and on the Veggie hardware on ISS, we propose a methodology for efficient categorizing and reporting of crew time in space plant growth systems. Crew time is difficult to capture in operational environments, and this study intends to harmonize these efforts among different locations. This article also provides a current database for required crew time in several plant growth hardware and facilities, on the ISS, and on Earth. These data could serve mission planners as a baseline to establish standardized activities and extrapolate crew time needed to operate future plant growth units. Finally, we discuss how crew time needed for plant cultivation will change in future exploration missions, based on choices made for plant species, watering systems, level of automation, and use of virtual assistants, among others. Crew time will need to be accounted for as a decisive factor to design future space greenhouse modules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Poulet
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, USRA, Kennedy Space Center, FL, 32899, USA.
| | | | - Jess Bunchek
- SURA/LASSO, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL, 32899, USA
| | - Paul Zabel
- DLR Institute of Space Systems, Bremen, 28359, Germany
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Fahrion J, Mastroleo F, Dussap CG, Leys N. Use of Photobioreactors in Regenerative Life Support Systems for Human Space Exploration. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:699525. [PMID: 34276632 PMCID: PMC8281973 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.699525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There are still many challenges to overcome for human space exploration beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) (e.g., to the Moon) and for long-term missions (e.g., to Mars). One of the biggest problems is the reliable air, water and food supply for the crew. Bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) aim to overcome these challenges using bioreactors for waste treatment, air and water revitalization as well as food production. In this review we focus on the microbial photosynthetic bioprocess and photobioreactors in space, which allow removal of toxic carbon dioxide (CO2) and production of oxygen (O2) and edible biomass. This paper gives an overview of the conducted space experiments in LEO with photobioreactors and the precursor work (on ground and in space) for BLSS projects over the last 30 years. We discuss the different hardware approaches as well as the organisms tested for these bioreactors. Even though a lot of experiments showed successful biological air revitalization on ground, the transfer to the space environment is far from trivial. For example, gas-liquid transfer phenomena are different under microgravity conditions which inevitably can affect the cultivation process and the oxygen production. In this review, we also highlight the missing expertise in this research field to pave the way for future space photobioreactor development and we point to future experiments needed to master the challenge of a fully functional BLSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Fahrion
- Interdisciplinary Biosciences Group, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
- CNRS, SIGMA Clermont, Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Felice Mastroleo
- Interdisciplinary Biosciences Group, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Claude-Gilles Dussap
- CNRS, SIGMA Clermont, Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Natalie Leys
- Interdisciplinary Biosciences Group, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
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