美国长期载人航天生命保障地面模拟装置——“BPC”的研究历史、现状与展望

A AMERICAN GROUND SIMULATOR OF LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR LONG-TERM MANNED SPACE FLIGHT—THE HISTORY, PRESENT AND PROSPECT OF BPC

由美国国家航空和宇宙航行局(NASA)肯尼迪航天中心于80年代后期研制的BPC(Biomass Production Chamber,生物量生产舱),是一大型密闭高等植物栽培系统和"人—植物"人工生态系统,用来进行长期载人航天生命保障系统地面模拟研究。至今已连续运转7年,生产了相当数量的粮食、蔬菜、大气和水等"宇航员"的生存必需品。本文就其发展历史、基本结构、实验内容与结果、发展前景等进行了全面深入的概述与分析。它对我国开展这一新领域的研究相信会有借鉴和推动作用。

BPC (Biomass Production Chamber), developed and constructed by Kennedy Space Center of NASA in later 1980's, is a large closed higher plant cultivation system and a artificial closed ecosystem of 'man-plants'. It has been used to conduct ground simulating studies of life support system of long-term manned spacemissions and extraterrestrial planetary inhabitation since 1988, and produced a good deal of grain, vegetables, air and water as astronauts' life-support consumables. This paper gives a general description of its past, basic configuration, main experimental contents and results, existing questions and prospects. It maybe play referential and promotive roles for us to carry out this new studies.