Quick Start: Supplies

Supplies (0.4.4)

This page lists parts also available under [USI Kolonization System] (https://github.com/BobPalmer/MKS/wiki). These parts are not required to use USI Life Support, but work well together with them. See the [USI Kolonization System] (https://github.com/BobPalmer/MKS/wiki) wiki for more details.

USI Life Support introduces three new resources (and uses one stock resource):

• Supplies - kerbals need them to survive
• ElectricCharge - kerbals need 0.01 EC/s
• Mulch - Kerbals produce this as waste when they consume Supplies
• Fertilizer - greenhouses can convert a combination of Mulch and Fertilizer into Supplies

Consumption

Each kerbal consumes 16.2 units of Supplies per six-hour day. For every unit of Supplies they consume, kerbals produce one unit of Mulch as waste.

To reduce the rate at which kerbals convert Supplies to Mulch, you can use life support Recyclers. For longer missions, Converters may be used to produce Supplies from Mulch with the use of Fertilizer. Each unit of fertilizer is equal to 3.14 Kerbal-hours of Supplies (at the default 8.5:1 conversion ratio).

Recyclers

Recyclers can reduce the rate of consumption of Supplies. Each Recycler has an efficiency and a crew capacity. For example, the stock MPL Science Lab can reduce consumption by 70% (efficiency) for up to five kerbals (crew capacity). After the crew capacity is exceeded, the efficiency is reduced by the amount you are over capacity. For example, the MPL Science Lab's efficiency divided by 2 if ten kerbals are present on the ship (double the Recycler's crew capacity).

If you have multiple Recyclers running, their effects are cumulative. The vessel-wide consumption reduction is capped by the most efficient recycler - so if your most efficient Recycler is a Science Lab, you can't reduce your Supplies consumption by more than 70%, no matter how many Recyclers are running.

Recycler	Source	Mass	Efficiency	Crew Capacity
Mobile Processing Lab MPL-LG-2	Stock	3.50	70%	5
RT-500 Recycling Module	USI-LS	0.6	60%	1
RT-5000 Recycling Module	USI-LS	0.6	79%	3
'Duna' Pioneer Module	MKS	0.8	70%	4
'Duna' Kerbitat Module	MKS	4.45	77%	4
'Tundra' Kerbitat (2.5m)	MKS	7.65	81%	4
'Tundra' Kerbitat (3.75m)	MKS	9.48	90.5%	4
'Tundra' Pioneer - Logistics Module	MKS	1.6	70%	4

Converters

USI-LS includes two greenhouses that can convert Mulch and Fertilizer into Supplies. By beginning your mission with a Converter, some Fertilizer, and only a small amount of initial Supplies, you can dramatically reduce the total mass of resources you need.

To calculate the amount of Fertilizer required, first calculate the total amount of Supplies required for your mission. Then divide this number by the "Supplies to Fertilizer Ratio" in the table below. For example, if your mission will require 850 units of Supplies and you choose to utilize a Nom-O-Matic 5000, then you should pack 100 units of Fertilizer. With some small amount of Supplies to begin with (so that Mulch is produced), your greenhouse will add a bit of Fertilizer to your Mulch and produce 850 units of Supplies before running out of Fertilizer.

Also note the rate at which Converters produce Supplies. Multiple Converters may be necessary to produce the daily Supplies requirement for multiple kerbals. Converters work independent from one another so their effects are cumulative.

Converter	Source	Mass	Mulch Input (per day)	Fertilizer Input (per day)	Supply Output (per day)	Supplies to Fertilizer Ratio
Nom-O-Matic 5000	USI-LS	0.5	24.3	3.24	27.54	8.5
Nom-O-Matic 25000	USI-LS	2.0	97.2	12.96	110.16	8.5
Nom-O-Matic 25000-I	USI-LS	2.0	97.2	12.96	110.16	8.5
'Scout' Agricultural Module	MKS-Lite	0.75	43.2	5.4	48.6	9