Perhaps people will be living in such "biospheres" on Mars
or the moon within only a few decades, Mitchell adds.
"Because Purdue is so strong in engineering and agricultural research,
it is the ideal institution to lead this kind of center," says
Purdue President Martin C. Jischke. "Besides the exciting goals
associated with human space exploration, this effort also is very valuable
for its potential social impacts gained through educational outreach
and developing partnerships with minority universities."
The NASA advanced life support center is the only one of its kind in
the nation. Purdue had led the center for five years beginning in 1990,
when Mitchell also was its director. Rutgers University has led research
efforts for the past five years. Purdue will again head the center as
of Oct. 1, the start of the next federal fiscal year.
"Although there have been differences in emphasis among the three
centers, they are all working toward the same goal: that of enabling
self-sustaining human colonization of planetary surfaces beginning during
the late second or early third decades of the 21st century," Mitchell
says.
The center's associate directors, Purdue civil engineering professors
James Alleman and Kathy Banks, will oversee the solid waste management
and outreach projects, respectively. Banks also will lead research to
develop an air-and-water treatment system. Joseph Pekny, a professor
of chemical engineering at Purdue, will be in charge of the systems
analysis portion of the research.
"This combined approach to air and water treatment has never been
done before," Banks says.
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