Abstract
Sustainable development is increasingly critical in addressing global challenges, as highlighted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 interconnected goals aim to tackle pressing issues such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. As humanity embarks on ambitious deep space exploration missions, aligning these efforts with the SDGs becomes essential to ensure that advancements contribute positively to humanity. Receently the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted a Decadal Review, which emphasized the need for robust bioregenerative life support systems as a strategic priority for NASA. This review recognizes that sustainable life support systems are fundamental for supporting human health and well-being during long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit. By harnessing biological processes and resources, bioregenerative systems can provide essential needs such as food, water, and oxygen while effectively recycling waste, thus minimizing resource input and enhancing mission sustainability. The US Decadal Review underscores the integration of bioregenerative research into NASA’s exploration framework, advocating for innovative technologies that align with both the SDGs and the goals of deep space exploration. By investing in bioregenerative life support research, NASA aims to develop systems that not only support astronauts in environments like Mars and lunar habitats but also contribute to sustainable practices on Earth. This dual focus on space exploration and terrestrial sustainability represents an important step toward ensuring that our quest for knowledge and discovery in space aligns with our responsibility to protect and enhance the quality of life on our home planet.
Presenters
D. Marshall PorterfieldProfessor, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, Indiana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design
KEYWORDS
Bioregenerative, Sustainability, NASA, UN, Space, Exploration, Habitation, Ecological Life Support
