Title: Life Support Systems | NASA
Headings: Life Support Systems
Life Support Systems
Sustaining Humans Beyond Earth
SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
ATMOSPHERE MANAGEMENT
Oxygen Generation and Recovery
Carbon Dioxide Removal
Trace Contaminant and Particulate Control
WATER MANAGEMENT
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Content: The Simplified Life Support Systems Schematic shows all of the elements of a life support system, including various processors for waste, air, and water. Credits: NASA
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. After forty years of development, LSS technologies have advanced a great deal but remain heavily dependent on Earth. Sending life-sustaining supplies 250 miles to the International Space Station (ISS) requires careful planning, and a robust international supply chain for delivery in one or two days after launch. Existing life support systems on the ISS provide oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, and manage vaporous emissions from the astronauts themselves. Analysis of these systems allows NASA to identify areas where additional technology development is needed. Addressing any gaps will make life support systems more reliable and effective, which will lead to integrated testing on Earth and ISS in preparation for future human spaceflight missions deeper into the solar system. In the 2020s, humans will conduct proving ground missions in cislunar space, which lies between Earth and the Moon or its orbit.