"A life-support system is the combination of equipment that allows survival in an environment or situation that would not support that life in its absence."
Study of the technology necessary for life support in space, including air and water recycling, waste management, and food production.
Understanding Life Support Systems: An introduction to the main components of a life support system and the role of each component in regulating life or providing safe living conditions.
Oxygen, Air, and Water Supply: An overview of the importance of maintaining a constant supply of oxygen, air and water in a life support system and the methods that can be used to generate, purify and store these resources.
Carbon Dioxide Management: An explanation of the ways that carbon dioxide levels can be managed in a life support system, including scrubbing and enrichment techniques.
Waste Management: Discussion of the various types of waste that are generated in space and how they can be handled and disposed of safely.
Recreation and Personal Hygiene: An overview of the importance of recreation and maintaining personal hygiene in space, and the methods that can be used to provide these services.
Environmental Monitoring: An explanation of the various sensors and instruments that are used to monitor the environment in a life support system and the importance of constant monitoring for detecting problems and preempt potential breakdowns.
Mars Environmental Control and Life Support System: A deeper look into the unique challenges of keeping people alive on the surface of Mars.
Life Support System Design and Control: The design of life support systems and the control algorithms used to regulate various parameters over time.
Human Factors in ECLSS: Discussion of the physical and psychological aspects of living in an environment with limited resources, and strategies to address these.
Liquid Management: An overview of the methods that can be used to provide and control the distribution of liquid from a central authority to a consumer.
Long-Term ECLSS: An examination of the long-term sustainability of life support systems in space, including the viability of Earth-independent systems.
Robotic and Automated ECLSS: An exploration of the potential use of robotic and automated systems to provide life support services in space.
Atmospheric control system: Controls the composition, pressure, and temperature of the air within a spacecraft or habitat.
Water recovery and management: Recycles water from various sources, including urine, sweat, and humidity, for reuse.
Waste management: Manages all types of waste generated by the crew, including solid waste, liquid waste, and biomedical waste.
Air revitalization: Removes carbon dioxide and other contaminants from the air and supplies oxygen to the crew.
Thermal control system: Maintains a stable temperature within the spacecraft, including the regulation of heat generated by equipment and crew members.
Radiation protection: Shields the crew from harmful radiation, including solar radiation and cosmic rays.
Fire detection and suppression: Detects and suppresses fires that could threaten the safety of the crew.
Microbial control: Controls the growth and spread of microorganisms within the spacecraft, which can pose a health threat to crew members.
Lighting system: Provides illumination within the spacecraft, including artificially replicating the day-night cycle.
Habitability systems: Includes all systems necessary to maintain crew comfort, including air conditioning and heating, sleeping arrangements, and exercise equipment.
"It is generally applied to systems supporting human life in situations where the outside environment is hostile, such as outer space or underwater, or medical situations where the health of the person is compromised."
"US government space agency NASA, and private spaceflight companies use the term environmental control and life-support system or the acronym ECLSS when describing these systems."
"The life-support system may supply air, water and food. It must also maintain the correct body temperature, an acceptable pressure on the body and deal with the body's waste products."
"Components of the life-support system are life-critical, and are designed and constructed using safety engineering techniques."
"In underwater diving, the breathing apparatus is considered to be life support equipment."
"The personnel who are responsible for operating it [saturation diving system] are called life support technicians."
"The concept can also be extended to submarines, crewed submersibles and atmospheric diving suits, where the breathing gas requires treatment to remain respirable."
"Medical life-support systems include heart-lung machines, medical ventilators and dialysis equipment."
"Shielding against harmful external influences such as radiation and micro-meteorites may also be necessary."