A prototype closed aquaculture system for controlled ecological life support applications

Aquaculture has been proposed as a possible component of a life support system for extended duration space exploration. Atmospheric and hydrologic closure of an aquaculture system are necessary for this application and information on mass flows through such a system is important to integrating it as part of life support. A closed aquaculture system has been constructed and an extensive computer monitoring and control system and sampling protocol developed to provide this information. Preliminary tests indicate that the system has a negligible leak rate and can provide oxygen and carbon dioxide mass flow information.