DEVELOPING CLOSED-LOOP ECOSYSTEMS FOR RESOURCE-SCARCE REGIONS

Duran-Aquino R.C.; Arias S.O. · Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC (2025) · DOI: 10.52202/083085-0025

Resumen

The escalating climate crisis is placing isolated communities under growing biophysical stress, ranging from water scarcity and degraded ecosystems to energy insecurity, that conventional development frameworks often fail to properly address. In response, this study presents a Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS) designed to support both adaptive resilience and decentralized self-sufficiency, especially in low-resource environments. The system operates not only as a ground-based solution but also as a scalable prototype for future space-based habitats, capturing the idea of miniaturized ecological analogs that mimic the closed-loop dynamics of Earth's ecosystems. By drawing on ecosystem engineering principles and a modular, open-source architecture, this BLSS approach aims to lower both financial and technical barriers commonly found in conventional life support infrastructures. Rooted in circular bioeconomy principles and Earth system science, the system incorporates accessible technologies, including adaptive hydroponics, anaerobic digestion, and decentralized biofiltration to establish self-sustaining cycles that help improve local autonomy in water, nutrient, and energy management. What makes this approach distinctive is not only its low cost and flexibility, but also its capacity for future development. Later stages could include lightweight AI-based monitoring and simplified digital twin models, enabling proactive control of system performance and better adaptation to shifting environmental conditions. This dual architecture, grounded yet forward-looking positions the BLSS as both a practical response to current needs and a stepping stone toward long-term sustainability, on Earth and beyond. Copyright

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos