Purpose

The purpose of this site is to collect and share knowledge pertaining to Closed Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS).

Just what are CELSS, and why should I care?

CELSS are a scientific and cultural endeavor to create self-reliant regenerative environments that can support and maintain human life via biological means. There are various motivations behind the endeavor that range from better understanding the Earth's ecosystem to being able to duplicate smaller scale human habitats in space.

• CELSS technology is the embodiment of the sustainability paradigm. By measuring, controlling, and recycling human waste at the most local level possible, it makes for a smaller footprint, and places less burden on the Earth's ecosphere.
• The Earth's 4.5 billion year history is characterized by radical environment changes and mass extinctions. Some folks think the present environment may be imminently gearing up for another change. Whether you blame humans or not, changes are inevitable. Unless we figure out how to create our own Ecoarks, we humans stand a pretty good chance of going the way of the other 99.9% of all life in Earth's history that is now extinct.
• The only way humans can live on the Moon or Mars is by replicating some portion of Earth's habitat. For those who envision Earth life beyond Earth, the technology to supply our basic needs is still a long way from bearing fruit. Or any other food, for that matter! Some of us seek to remedy that.

How does this work?

This online community is based on an open source framework, which means it is dependent on people like you, people who may not have a degree in this stuff but have some hands on experience. This is a circle of equals with no organizational hierarchy, recognizing that our job is to each do the primary R&D required to produce and manufacture an instance of a proto-CELSS. By sharing successful memes, we can collectively evolve CELSS toward ever increasing degrees of success. Your input is not only welcome, it is essential to the advancement of our collective knowledge and survival. Our desired skills list is not limited to just the following:

• Gardening and Agriculture
• Hydroponics and Aquaponics
• HVAC and Passive Thermal Management
• Alternative Energy
• Construction Methods
• Plumbing and Electrical Systems
• Materials
• Food Processing and Storage
• Water Purification
• Ecology and Biology

Where do I start?

To contribute to the knowledge here, please register as a user and jump right in. You can subscribe to the various parts of the site by clicking on the RSS feed icons to the right.

Updates

(16JUN21): Returned site from blank page limbo.
(26JUL15): Updated user interface for mobile friendly viewing and site navigation.

(27MAR15): Major updates in progress to incorporate NASA Advanced Life Support Baseline Values and Assumptions document.

(26JUL12): Due to an infestation of spambots, new registration is by invitation only, for now. Please contact me (Greg) via social media (Facebook, Twitter, or Google+).