Miniaturising life: a scientific study coordinated by Scuola Sant'Anna has developed the smallest Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) for space applications
An entire living ecosystem enclosed in just six centimetres per side and perfectly integrated on board a microsatellite: this is the result of a study published in the scientific journal Acta Astronautica, the official journal of the International Academy of Astronautics, which presents one of the smallest and most advanced Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) ever designed for space applications.
The work is part of the PRIN COSMIC project – “COntrolled Space MIcroecological system supporting eCopoiesis”, coordinated by Donato Romano, associate professor at the BioRobotics Institute of the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, who is also the last author of the article. The first author of the study is Marco Griffa, a PhD student at the same Institute. The Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) with Prof. Adriano Di Giovanni, and other national and international research institutions also contributed to the research.
"The study confirms the possibility of developing miniaturised, reliable and sustainable bioregenerative life support systems that are fully compatible with the requirements of modern space missions. The controlled integration of biological and technological processes is a strategic element for the evolution of future space infrastructure" says Donato Romano.
What are Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS)?
BLSS are space technologies that use living organisms and natural processes to produce and recycle essential resources such as oxygen, water and food, and represent one of the most promising solutions for making long-duration space missions sustainable. In this context, a fully functional miniaturised bioregenerative system has been developed and integrated into a 1U CubeSat, making it the smallest bioregenerative system ever built for space.
Cooperation between nature and technology for a micro-ecosystem capable of reacting to environmental stimuli
The tiny habitat is a real living and active micro-ecosystem in which plants, small soil arthropods, water and substrate coexist. Its operation is made possible by close integration with on-board electronics: miniaturised sensors and control systems constantly monitor parameters such as gas composition, lighting and environmental conditions, allowing continuous interaction between the technological and biological components. For this reason, the system can be defined as bionic, a concrete example of cooperation between nature and technology.
During experimental tests on Earth, the microecosystem remained completely isolated for four months, operating as a closed but dynamic system. Measurements demonstrated the system's ability to self-regulate carbon dioxide, following natural cycles linked to photosynthesis and biological activity. The microecosystem is therefore not static, but responds to environmental stimuli, adapting and maintaining its own balance.
Through dedicated simulations, the researchers also verified that the system is capable of withstanding the typical conditions of a space mission, such as launch vibrations and the orbital environment. This paves the way for the use of biohybrid microecosystems as scientific laboratories in low Earth orbit, hosted on small satellites.
Prospects, not only in space
In addition to its role in life support systems, the microecosystem could function as an orbital biosensor, monitoring in real time the effects of cosmic radiation, microgravity and magnetic field variations on living organisms. Extreme miniaturisation and the integration of life and electronics open up new prospects for the development of intelligent, sustainable and scalable life support systems.
The implications of this study are not limited to space. Understanding how biohybrid systems can self-regulate in extreme environments also offers valuable insights for terrestrial applications, from sustainable resource management to the development of new technologies inspired by the interaction between natural and artificial systems.
"The growing accessibility of space offers a unique opportunity to test key technologies for interplanetary exploration on miniaturised platforms such as CubeSats. Radiation in space is one of the main critical issues for the health of major biological systems, which is why the integration of compact particle detectors into Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) is essential. The radiation monitor designed, based on an array of four cerium bromide scintillators encapsulated in a plastic scintillator and coupled with light sensors, allows us to study the effects of radiation exposure and plan missions with biological systems on board, optimising shielding mass and costs" comments Prof. Adriano Di Giovanni (Gran Sasso Science Institute).
"This field of research also highlights how human beings remain a subsystem of our planet, interconnected with the ecosystems that sustain it, and how even in long-term space missions, survival requires the reproduction of a functional terrestrial environment" concludes Donato Romano.
