Recyclab, a Laboratory for Regenerative Life Support Development

<div class="htmlview paragraph">In the second half of the 2004, Thales Alenia Space - Italia started an Advanced Live Support Research &amp; Development program denominated Recyclab, on own funding.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">The main objectives of the Recyclab program are: <ul class="list disc"> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">To determine the actual development needs and possibilities in the international scenario in the Advanced Life Support field</div></li> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">To develop new technologies for the regeneration of the main resources in exploration missions (water, air, waste)</div></li> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">To test the technologies developed in closed loop in an integrated system.</div></li> </ul> </div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">In the past three years the following results have been achieved: <ul class="list disc"> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Acquisition of information on the state of art in the field of Advanced Live Support</div></li> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Set-up of a Recyclab laboratory, to test the single technologies selected at the workbench level (bread boarding)</div></li> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Set-up of an overall demonstrator structure derived from an ISS Node mock-up, to test the developed technologies in an integrated configuration</div></li> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Design and acquisition of water, food and air regeneration demonstrators</div></li> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Preparation of research protocols to carry out the experimentation campaigns.</div></li> </ul> </div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">During the 2007 the Recyclab program will: <ul class="list disc"> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Carry out the first experimentation campaign on the water Multi-filtration and Photocatalysis recovery technologies</div></li> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Carry out the first experimentation campaign on the trace gas removal using sorption technologies (zeolites)</div></li> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Acquire new reactors dedicated to the air revitalization research and carry out the first experimentation campaign</div></li> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Design and develop the first overall demonstrator outfitting configuration</div></li> <li class="list-item"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Conclusion of laboratory equipment set-up activities with a Gas Chromatograph - Mass Spectrophotometer (GC-MS) for trace gas contaminants research and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analyzer for water monitoring.</div></li> </ul> </div>