BIOBACK

ABSTRACT

The European Space Agency (ESA) awarded LEITAT a contract to develop Biodegradable Material for Containment of Wastes and Metabolic Resources, in the framework of the MELiSSA project.

MELiSSA (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) has been conceived as a micro-organisms and higher plants based ecosystem intended as a tool to gain understanding of the behaviour of artificial ecosystems, and for the development of the technology for a future regenerative life support system for long term manned space missions, e.g. a lunar base or a mission to Mars.

The objectives of this project are:

• To establish preliminary requirements for biodegradable packaging materials for both metabolic waste and food containment;
• To review, study and select biodegradable materials, usable for both metabolic waste and food containment;
• To asses biodegradability of selected materials, identify biodegradation products and assess their toxicity towards processes used within MELiSSA;
• To conclude on the best suited materials for both metabolic waste and food containment.