MSPO 513 - Space Habitation & Life Support Systems

NASA’s Life Support Systems (LSS) activities develop the capabilities to sustain humans who are living and working in space - away from Earth’s protective atmosphere and resources like water, air, and food. This includes monitoring atmospheric pressure, oxygen levels, waste management, and water supply, as well as fire detection and suppression.

Where will future astronauts live during the months- or years-long missions to Mars and other destinations in the solar system? How will these habitats be constructed – and what systems will outfit them to sustain human life in the harsh environment of deep space?

The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) is a system of regenerative life support hardware that provides clean air and water to the International Space Station (ISS) crew and laboratory animals through artificial means. The creation of the ECLSS allows for the accommodation of more crew on the Space Station, extends the time crew can stay in space, and significantly reduces the cost of operating the Space Station.

NASA’s human lunar exploration plans under Artemis call for sending the first woman and first person of color to the surface of the Moon and establishing sustainable exploration by the end of the decade. Working with U.S. companies and international partners, we will uncover new scientific discoveries and lay the foundation for private companies to build a lunar economy. The agency will use what we learn on the Moon to prepare for humanity's next giant leap – sending astronauts to Mars.

“You want to wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be great - and that’s what being a spacefaring civilization is all about. It’s about believing in the future and thinking that the future will be better than the past. And I can’t think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars.” -Elon Musk

NASA’s Mars Exploration Program is a science-driven, technology-enabled study of Mars as a planetary system in order to understand: the formation and early evolution of Mars as a planet; the history of geological and climate processes that have shaped Mars through time; the potential for Mars to have hosted life (its “biological potential”); the future exploration of Mars by humans, and how Mars compares to and contrasts with Earth.