A "DIET EXPERT SUBSYSTEM" PROGRAM FOR THE CONTROLLED ECOLOGICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BIOREGENERATIVE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM (BLSS) CRITICALLY DEPENDS ON THE RELIABILITY AND STABILITY OF THE SYSTEM OF RECYCLING OF THE BIOLOGICAL RESIDUES AND REGENERATION OF THE LIFE SUSTAINING ELEMENTS WITHIN A CLOSED HABITAT. THEREFORE, THE PROBLEMS OF DYNAMIC CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF INSTABILITIES CAUSED BY CHAOTIC SYSTEM BEHAVIORS ARE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE, AND MUST BE CAREFULLYADDRESSED. AN IMPORTANT, BUT UNEXPLORED, PROBLEM OF CONTROL, IN THE CONTROLLED ECOLOGICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM (CELSS) PROGRAM, IS THE MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE DIETARY NEEDS OF THE HUMAN CREW, BOTH AS A FACTOR IN THE OVERALL SYSTEM STABILITY AND IN THE FACE OF INSTABILITIES INOTHER CELSS COMPONENTS THAT CAN BECOME A SOURCE OF THREAT TOTHE HEALTH OF THE CREW. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE DIETARY PLANNING FOR A MISSION INVOLVES MORE THAN A MERE OPTIMIZATION OF A DATA BASE OF FOOD-VALUES, AND MUST BE OBTAINED FROM A WELL CHARACTERIZED EXPERT SUBSYSTEM THAT CANBE DYNAMICALLY INTEGRATED WITH OTHER SUBSYSTEMS OF A "CLOSED ECOSYSTEM". THIS PROPOSAL CONTAINS THE DEFINITION PHASE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXPERT COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT, IF SUCCESSFUL, CAN INTERFACE WITH OTHER CELSS SUBSYSTEMS AND DYNAMICALLY DETERMINE, SCHEDULE, MODIFY, CONTROL, AND PROJECT BOTH THE DAILY AND OVERALL DIETARY NEEDS OF CELSS ACCORDING TO A SET OF ACQUIRED RULES FROM A CUMULATIVE DATA BASE. THE EXPERT SYSTEM HERE IS DEFINED AS A PROGRAM THAT ATTEMPTS TO SIMULATE THE REASONING OF A HUMANEXPERT GIVEN THE SAME SET OF CONDITIONS.