MELiSSA

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/melissa

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the acronym meaning?MELiSSA stands for Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative
2. What is the initiating agency?European Space Agency (ESA)
3. How does MELiSSA turn waste into food and clean air?First microbes break down trash and drink CO2, then plants and algae use that to make oxygen, water, and edible food, while filters clean the water.
4. Why do we need MELiSSA for missions to the Moon or Mars?Long trips need lots of oxygen, water, and food, and carrying all of that from Earth would be too heavy, so MELiSSA lets astronauts make what they need in space.

Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS): A life support system that uses biological processes to recycle air, water, and food for crewed missions.
Biogeochemical Cycles: Natural processes that move essential elements (like carbon, nitrogen, water) through Earth's living and non-living components.
Consumables: Materials that are used up during a mission, such as food, water, and oxygen.
Artificial Ecosystem: A man-made system designed to mimic the functions and interactions of a natural ecosystem.