CREATING A CIRCULAR FUTURE
THE EUROPEAN PROJECT
OF CIRCULAR LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM
For more than 30 years, The European Space Agency (i.e. ESA) is active in the field of regenerative life support system. MELiSSA (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) is the European project of circular life support system. It was established to gain knowledge on regenerative system, aiming to the highest degree of autonomy and consequently to produce food, water and oxygen from mission wastes. The MELiSSA project has been initiated in 1987 after a preliminary flight on board Chinese rocket Longue Marche. In October 1988, the concept was elaborated and published. The contractual activities started in 1989.
MELiSSA Foundation is a non-profit organisation created by the MELiSSA partners to finance and harmonise MELiSSA PhDs and PostDocs.
The MELiSSA Foundation is hosting as well all communications and education issues of the MELiSSA Project.
Research & development
Preliminary Flight experiments
GROUND DEMONSTRATION
TERRESTRIAL APPLICATIONS
EDUCATION & COMMUNICATION
MELiSSA Events
The 2020 edition of MELiSSA Conference is the European platform dedicated to closed life support system. It is the place to share and exchange about fundamental and applied research for Space and Earth applications.
Throwback to the inauguration of the first laboratory in Europe at the Department of Agricultural and Food Science, PaCMAN, entirely dedicated to the characterization of plants for regenerative systems to support life in Space.
MELiSSA à le plaisir d'être partenaire du XVIIème Congrès de la Société Française de Génie des Procédés (SFGP) organisé à la Cité des Congrès de Nantes, du 15 au 17 octobre 2019.
Actualities
Open PhD position - Topic: Inactivation of microbial biofilms with low-pressure and atmospheric plasma. Where: Space Microbiology Research Group, German Aerospace Center (DLR e.V.) Cologne, Germany.
Post-doctoral position: Intensive photoproduction of carbohydrates by the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis.
Switzerland has performed a survey of its industry, universities and research centres and confirms the very high synergies of MELiSSA space research with terrestrial challenges.
MELiSSA PARTNERS
Around 50 organisations (e.g. universities, research centers, space industries, terrestrial companies) are involved in the project. 15 partners have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. MELiSSA is internationally recognized as the most advanced effort to develop closed loop life support systems. Today, the MELiSSA partners are from Belgium, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands and Canada.
CONCLUSIONS OF THE ESA WORKING GROUP ON LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS
On April 30th, ESA member states issued the conclusions of the ESA Working Group on Life Support Systems.
Among the recommendations, the WG took note of the very robust approach of MELiSSA project on Fundamental research, Flights demonstrators (e.g ARTEMISS, URINIS, Photobioreactor, ...), Pilot Plant, Commercial activities and Education. The report includes as well the MELiSSA approved roadmaps and proposed MELiSSA activities and fundings for the coming 3 years.