China looks at algae for oxygen in long space missions Beijing: Chinese space scientists believe that algae

could provide enough oxygen for astronauts in long space missions, after an experimental snail survived a 17 day mission in one of the space crafts last year. An experiment, involving two types of algae and three snails, was conducted in the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft which orbited earth for 17 days in November last year. One of the snails survived in a designed micro-ecosystem, signalling preliminary success for the experiment, Liu Yongding, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the experiment's designer, told state-run China Daily. Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms which are photosynthetic like plants, providing oxygen and food (protein). Snails are the consumers, living on the oxygen and consuming the food and microbes carried by the snails help the decomposing process, Liu said. Scientists at the Hydrology institute of China have developed a system that sees 1.5 cubic metres of algae produce enough oxygen for a man, weighing 70 kilogrammes, to survive in an enclosed space for one day. The experiments must now determine what role gravity played. "It still remains a question whether the microgravity in space will have any impact on the photosynthesis of algae and consequently affect the amount of oxygen produced. We need to do experiments in space to find out," Liu said. Studying and researching algae photosynthesis in space will help scientists design systems that provide oxygen, Liu said. Astronauts currently rely on oxygen in canisters while food is stored on board or delivered by cargo spacecraft. But if human beings are to explore Mars or other planets, with missions spanning months or years, then oxygen must be generated through biotechnology, he said. "Providing oxygen and food through biological methods is the answer," he said. China plans to build a space station around 2020 and deploy astronauts to live in it for months. It is also eyeing Mars and other planets, though manned missions are not yet on the agenda.

Considering what is at stake, the experiment is quite straightforward, he said. An opaque container is filled with nutrient solution. The container has two parts, separated by a special film that allows penetration of oxygen and water. In the lower part is euglena, an algae provided by Germany. In the upper part is chlorella, another algae provided by the Chinese institute of Hydrology. Three snails, belonging to the Bulinus australianus genus and weighing less than 0.1 grams in total, each as small as one-third of a fingernail are added forming a simple ecosystem. Fish were originally considered but snails were chosen because of their adaptability and the cramped on board conditions. "Snails are better equipped to survive in the harsh environment and take up only a small area," he said. The team chose Bulinus, a genus of small tropical freshwater snails, because it is especially good at surviving in a low-oxygen environment. Li Xiaoyan, a research fellow on Liu's team, said that the surviving snail was immediately killed and preserved to ensure that conditions on Earth did not alter its state. As astronauts suffer increased blood pressure and other illness after long stays in space, analysis of the snail sample is expected to help research, she said. As for the algae, Wang Gaohong, associate researcher on Liu's team, said that the algae are divided into two groups. One group has been analysed for photosynthesis activity and the other group is being examined for cultivating. Together with the data showing the changing process, they are expected to help researchers better understand photosynthesis in space, he said.

Oxygen for Respiration Without oxygen, the human body cannot survive longer than three minutes. It is therefore imperative that that life support and survival systems provide adequate amounts. An average astronaut needs nearly two pounds of oxygen per day. This large amount cannot be brought along due to its heavy weight - oxygen and breathable gases must be recycled. Initially in space exploration, oxygen was provided through the use of perchlorate candles. The contents of these metallic canisters reacted and formed oxygen (O2) as a product. Now, the

process known as electrolysis is used to separate water into its components of hydrogen and oxygen. The process is powered by battery or gathered electricity via solar panels. This process in much more sustainable as water can be recycled into oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen that is generated fills the entire pressurized cabin for space crew to breathe. The cabin atmosphere is not pure and is mixed with other gases in ratios similar to the Earth's natural nitrogen/oxygen balance. While the removal of the diluent gases can reduce the pressure and weight required of a space craft's atmosphere, diluent gases are mixed in for safety. Inert gases such as argon may be added for stability and fire control. Pure oxygen is highly flammable and accidental explosions aboard space craft are a great concern. Pure oxygen is often times pumped to space suits for outside repairs and space walks via umbilical chord. The atmosphere in space suits is usually a purer oxygenated mix. A suit full of pure oxygen requires less pressure than a mixed breathing gas. This ensures that the suit is flexible and not rigid due to internal pressure. Cabin air must continually be filtered to prevent the build up of carbon dioxide, a product of respiration, and poisonous gases that the human body releases in small amounts. A chemical named zeolite is used to filter out both carbon dioxide and monoxide. Zeolite acts like a molecular coffee filter breathable air passes through but poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide and dioxide are trapped within. Carbon monoxide can be fatal in small amounts. Activated carbon filters are used to remove other poisonous gases such as ammonia and methane. Using plants to recycle CO2 to oxygen has been studied and experimented with for sometime, but as of right now it is not a viable solution. The volume of plants and materials needed to recycle oxygen fast enough for a crew is simply incredible. Also, plants must be continually monitored and cared for. Plants must get enough water, nitrogen, and other essential nutrients. At this point, chemical solutions are simply faster and more reliable. The viable use of plants for CO2 to O2 conversion would require simulating a small ecosystem. Even controlled experiments such as the biosphere projects have failed to create a stable model of Earth's natural atmospheric processes. For now, scientist must find ways to improve chemical solutions such as electrolysis so that they can be used longer term and be more self sufficient. Using algae and phytoplankton as CO2 scrubbers is currently being investigated. A biochemical solution would help to eliminate mechanical and electrical reliance ensuring a longer term solution. A biochemical algae scrubber could potentially be far smaller and more portable than the electrolysis currently being used. Algae do not require electricity or regulating its use just sunlight. Use of algae for support of the human in space. Source University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA. Abstract Algae offer special advantages as photosynthetic plants which may be used to provide for the gas exchange requirements of man and for some fraction of his food requirement. Established principles of algal metabolism allow basic specifications. To meet a human oxygen demand of 600 1/day an algal exchanger would take up about 720 1/day of carbon dioxide, produce about 600 g/day of dry algae, and require a minimum of about 800 watt of visible light. Major technical disadvantage arises from need for input power as light and the low values of irradiance at which algae can maintain maximum efficiency. Design criteria require compromise between minimum volume and minimum power requirement. A basic design theory needs to be evolved and a number of technical problems need to be solved before proper evaluation of an algal system can be made.

NASA Uses Algae to Turn Sewage Into Fuel

An illustration of an OMEGA ship harvesting algae to turn into fuel. CREDIT: NASA NASA may concern itself largely with space exploration, but it also wants to keep Earth on a steady course in the face of rising energy costs and climate change. Now the U.S. space agency has thrown its weight behind a clever method of growing algae in wastewater for the purpose of making biofuel. The OMEGA system consists of algae grown in flexible plastic bags floating offshore, where cities typically dump their wastewater. Oil-producing freshwater algae would naturally clean the wastewater by feeding on nutrients in the sewage. The cleansed freshwater could then release into the ocean through forward-osmosis membranes in the sides of the plastic bags. "You're concentrating nutrients and releasing extremely clean water into the ocean," said Jonathan Trent, a bioengineer at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. The forward-osmosis membranes only release fresh water into the ocean, and don't permit salty water to contaminate the bags. Trent envisions harvesting the algae with barges every ten days, and then flushing the plastic bags with salt water to clean out any freshwater algae that might foul the sides of the bags or the forwardosmosis membranes. The algae would be turned into fuel in a manner similar to using corn to make ethanol. Municipal wastewater pumped into the bags would then start the cycle all over again.

Such a process would mainly rely on the energy of the ocean waves to mix the algae, as well as sunlight and carbon dioxide. The offshore locations and the wide oceans would also have more than enough room to grow massive amounts of algae needed to produce biofuels for an energy-hungry world. Algae for a greener economy Many experts see algae as the biofuel source of the future for several reasons. Algae's biofuel yield could range from 1,000-4,000 gallons per acre each year, compared to just hundreds of gallons per acre annually from oil palm, sunflower and soybeans, according to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report. The DOE added that algae alone could theoretically take care of transportation fuel demands for the entire United States. That early promise has led the DOE to invest in algae-focused ventures through its new ARPA-E agency, and to put together a report titled the "National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap." Some private companies have tried growing algae in vats or through other methods on land. But Trent decided to take advantage of the ocean's natural waves and open spaces. His initial investigation drew support through a grant from the philanthropic arm of Google, the U.S. Internet search giant. "This would ultimately cover acres and acres of ocean," Trent told SPACE.com. He noted that each plastic bag might take up as much as a quarter of an acre. The millions of acres required to meet U.S. transportation fuel needs would not take the form of one huge ocean patch, but would instead spread across many locations off the U.S. coasts. The basic technologies behind the plastic bags and forward-osmosis membranes are well tested, but Trent expects to spend more time ensuring that the system can work efficiently and without problems. For instance, plastics have a known weakness to ultraviolet rays from the sun, and so long exposure might represent an issue. Still, Trent wants to eventually make the plastic bags biodegradable. A future source of such biodegradable plastics might even come from algae-derived oil. Fuel for the world Both NASA and the California Energy Commission have helped fund the latest round of Trent's work, in which he aims to get a pilot demonstration up and running. The first experiments might start in closed ponds, and then spread to California offshore locations near San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Trent acknowledges that challenges remain in figuring out the right algae strains, and in engineering the system to make algae biofuels a cost-effective alternative to existing fossil fuels. In fact, biofuels currently represent one of the least lucrative possibilities from growing algae ? converting algae into animal food, fertilizer and cosmetics represents just a few of the more profitable ventures.

Still, the NASA bioengineer hopes that algae biofuels can eventually help satiate rising energy demands, and cut back on greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels that contribute to climate change. The fact that the OMEGA process would clean up wastewater and help sequester carbon dioxide doesn't hurt, either. A U.S. company, Algae Systems of Carson City, Nev., has already licensed the NASA tech, and plans to deploy its own algae bioreactors somewhere off the coast of Tampa Bay, Florida. Trent would like to see the technology spread among companies as an open-source solution. "I don't want to see any one company that owns the technology," Trent said. He has already begun discussing his work with international delegates at the United Nations Climate Change Conference hosted in Copenhagen, Denmark. One possible future plan would combine the algae-growth system with a gigantic offshore wind farm being built by Germany, Sweden and Denmark. Wind power could then provide lights to keep algae growing underwater and during the nighttime hours ? a fitting vision for the sustainable future of spaceship Earth.