Design Principles... from the Apollo Program

At first glance, it may seem strange to apply principles from space travel to terrestrial systems such as aquaponics facilities. But this is precisely where the strength of this approach lies: the Apollo program faced the challenge of developing systems in which errors could not be corrected – no possibility of repair, no second chance, no external help. The astronauts were completely dependent on the reliability of their life support systems while they were 384,400 kilometers away from any repair shop. This absolute necessity for reliability enforced a design discipline that went far beyond what was customary in other fields. Every component, every interface, every decision had to be made under the premise: What happens if this fails? In doing so, NASA developed principles that are not specific to spacecraft, but provide fundamental answers to the question: How do you design systems whose failure is unacceptable? This is precisely the question that arises with biological recirculating systems. An aquaponics system is also a closed system in which living organisms depend on the continuous functioning of technical and biological processes. A failure in water circulation, oxygen supply, or biological filtration does not lead immediately, but inevitably, to the collapse of the system. The parallel is obvious: neither system tolerates improvisation in an emergency.