Life support

A ship's crew and passengers require:

• Oxygen
  • Crew can survive in spacesuits, so long as they are refilled with oxygen periodically, but civilians can't wear spacesuits and require an atmosphere.
• CO₂ removal (if an atmosphere exists).
• Food
• Water
• Sewage removal is not yet required (as of Alpha 14), but presumably will be at some point.

Resource Management

Buy/Sell

Oxygen, food, and water can all be purchased. CO₂ and sewage can be bottled with a loader and sold.

Harvest

All resources can be collected from post-combat debris.

Ice can be harvested from comets with mining lasers and then processed into water. Oxygen can be produced from water with an oxygen maker, though this risks using up the water supply if not monitored.

Recycle

With the right equipment, CO₂ and sewage can be recycled back into oxygen, food, and water. Research can increase the quantity of resources recovered from this process.

Example recycling systems:

• CO2 Scrubber ⇒ CO2 ⇒ Air Reprocessor ⇒ Oxygen
• Sewage Pipe ⇒ Sewage ⇒ Waste Treatment Machine ⇒ Waste Water and Compost
  • Waste Water ⇒ Water Purifier ⇒ Water
  • Compost and Water and Seeds ⇒ Hydroponic Garden ⇒ Food and Seeds

System Losses

In one hour a crew member will consume 3 food and 20 water, and produce 22 sewage. With all research completed:

• This sewage will convert to 22 water and 2.75 compost.
• More than 3 food can be produced from this compost, but producing only the needed 3 food will consume 3 water.

In total 23 water is consumed while only 22 is returned, so supplemental water will be necessary.