Technology opportunities
Closing the loop on Earth
Circular technologies for water, nutrients and food, developed over more than 35 years in ESA’s MELiSSA programme for life in space, and ready to be built into products on Earth. We are looking for entrepreneurs, industrial partners and investors who want to turn this science into businesses.
The MELiSSA loop: the crew’s wastes pass through thermophilic anaerobic bacteria (C1), a microbial electrolysis cell (C2) and nitrification (C3), and return as food, water and oxygen from microalgae and higher plants (C4).
Decentralised water loops
Water that works where there is no sewer. Three modules of one system turn grey water and urine into clean water and a useful nitrogen stream.
Grey Water Recycling Unit
In operation at the Concordia research station in Antarctica. Turns shower, laundry and kitchen water into hygienic-quality water.
Urine Treatment Unit
Further advanced in recent years with defined microbial cultures and a compact membrane-aerated reactor. Recovers water and a stable nitrogen stream from urine.
Nitrification Module and control software
Makes the most fragile step in water treatment predictable.
Nutrition software
Precision Nutrition Platform
A food database and menu model, first developed for astronaut diets, that builds complete menus people can actually follow.
LOOPSCAN
LOOPSCAN is a circularity evaluator developed by SEMiLLA IPStar. It shows, stream by stream, how much of the need for water, energy and nutrients a process, building or site covers from within, what has to come from outside and what is lost, drawing on the MELiSSA databases of technology performance and mass balances. Each stream is reported on its own rather than folded into one circularity score. For industry, municipalities and consultancies.
Try LOOPSCAN on a real district
Flagship concept: OASiS
OASiS combines these technologies into a circular resource layer next to a data centre, turning residual heat, cooling water and CO2 into water, energy and food for the site and its region. Concept stage; the first pilot site is being selected.
Hydroponic cultivation in MELiSSA research. Clean hydroponics is one of the pipeline technologies.
Pipeline
Clean hydroponics
Sealed cultivation with filtration of the nutrient solution, against disease spreading through the water.
Digester-compatible bio-packaging
Biodegradable materials that break down in an anaerobic digester as well as food waste does.
Waste-to-chemicals biorefinery
A microbial community that produces long-chain fatty acids, feedstock for high-value chemicals.
Micropollutant control
A research roadmap on pharmaceutical and personal care residues in reused water.
Sensing and process control
An online biomass sensor in commercial use, and decades of model-based control expertise.
Ways to work together
Venture creation, pilot partnerships, licensing, co-development, and joint projects in Horizon Europe, LIFE and national programmes.
Request the full technology portfolio
The full portfolio is shared under a non-disclosure agreement.
The MELiSSA technologies on this page were developed by MELiSSA partners, who hold the rights for terrestrial applications; ESA holds the rights for space applications. SEMiLLA IPStar is the MELiSSA partner that primarily looks after commercial applications of MELiSSA technology on Earth. LOOPSCAN is developed and owned by SEMiLLA IPStar.