 Laura Supra, John Lewis and Vickie Kloeris of the Lunar-Mars Life
Support Test Project |
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Studies in the Advanced Life Support Chamber
tests at NASA included plant growth facilities. Plants give off oxygen, which can be used
for human crews; and the carbon dioxide crews exhale can be used to support plant life.
Crews in the Life Support Test Project grew lettuce for salads and wheat, which they
ground and baked into bread for meals. |
The following engineering requirements have been developed
to keep astronauts fit and healthy during long-duration spaceflights:
- Clean air
- Clean water
- Waste management
- Adequate food
- Long-duration storage of food
- Processing of flight-grown food
- Clothes washer
- Lighting systems
- Simulation of sunlight
- In step with circadian (human clock cycles)
rhythms
- Analyzers of particulates and microbes in a
potentially hazardous environment
Astronaut Charles (Pete)
Conrad in the Skylab shower
Questions to think about:
- If you were a traveler to Mars, list at least three benefits
you would get from a small garden of plants.
- Do you think it would be difficult to exercise every day for
at least 2 hours? What things could you do to make exercising more enjoyable?
 Communications and
Recreation
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