In order to facilitate extended human space travel, solutions and innovations are required to enable efficient long life operation of life support systems with limited earth availability. The existing supply of air and water on the International Space Station (ISS) is managed by Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) which recovers and recycles water and oxygen from human waste. The best estimates available show that this system works at efficiencies between 75% to 85% water recovery which requires relatively frequent refueling to sustain life upon the ISS. As human missions travel further into the solar system the available of earth to resupply will be diminish due to cost. Therefore, next-generation systems to recycle water, oxygen, and improve system sanitization are required to sustain life and improve efficiency. When evaluating the existing ECLSS system we find that this system has lifetime/durability limitations due inefficiencies within existing process like vapor compression distillation (VCD), reverse and forward osmosis (RO/FO), and disinfection. Requiring complex hazardous chemicals to treat and sterilize to each system in order to maintain their performance.

Within this context, Faraday Technology Inc. and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) are working on developing a technology to neutralize or eliminate many of the contaminants that commonly foul the VCD and RO/FO systems while improving system maintenance and disinfection. Specifically, Faraday and UPR are developing a custom bioelectrochemical system to remove urea and a peroxide generation system to disinfect systems and surfaces. The initial goal of this development is to produce systems that will be compatible within the existing ECLSS while also identifying new pathways for improve recovery efficiencies and sustainability far earth life.

Acknowledgements: The financial support of NASA Contracts No. NNX17CA30P, NNX16CA43P, and NNX17CJ12C is acknowledged.