Wholphin

Directed by: Dylan Haggerty

Liner Notes:

“From the beginning of human space colonization, the question of waste disposal has been a matter of great concern for scientists and astronauts. Because of the carefully controlled hermetic environments required for sustained artificial life support systems, treatment and recycling of human feces and urine is of paramount importance in the development of environmental suits (EV) and permanent base facilities.

It is estimated that the adult human body produces approximately 1500 grams of urine, 200 grams of feces, and an average of 1 kg of carbon dioxide per day. In domains where renewable sources of bio-matter and oxygen are unavailable (such as on the Moon or Mars), the creation of what is known as a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) is essential.

A CELSS is a closed environment wherein 100 percent of the food, water, and breathable atmosphere are harvested from the waste generated by the inhabitants of the support system. The first experiments in the field of CELSS were undertaken by the great Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in the 1920’s, culminating in the early 1960’s with the creation of the manned Bios-3 habitat located at the Institute of Biophysics in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. The Bios-3 habitat became the model for the more famous Biospheres 1 and 2 in Arizona, USA.

On Earth, the preferred method for waste disposal is the use of bacteria to break down organic waste into more useful forms such as water and carbon dioxide. However, because the use of bacteria on a non-terrestrial base could lead to the potentially lethal contamination of the entire system, the use of alternative forms waste recycling are required. Generally, Lunar and Martian bases have utilized various forms of SCWO

(Supercritical Water Oxidation) for their waste recycling. SCWO uses intense pressure and temperatures to break down solid wastes to create sterile water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen — all of which can then be re-used in the growth of edible biomass and recycled into the breathable atmosphere.

On excursions outside of an enclosed base where the use of an EV Suit is required, the saving of feces and urine is a vital component to the long-term viability of a sustainable CELSS. Storage and maintenance of human waste is a responsibility that generally falls to the individual astronaut. It has been found that over time, intimate bonds between an astronaut and their waste can form, as the waste becomes an integral link in the chain of life.”

Biographies:

Dylan Haggerty (director, co-writer) is an actor and screenwriter living in Los Angeles, CA.

Kent Osborne is a writer and storyboard director at cartoon network. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Leave a Reply