Search Results

Animal research on the Space Station presents the need for bioisolation, which is here defined as instrumental and operational provisions, which will prevent the exchange of particles greater than 0.3 μ size and microorganisms between crew and animals. Current design principles for the Biological Research Project thus call for: 1. use of specific pathogen-free animals; 2. keeping animals at all times in enclosed habitats, provided with microbial filters and a waste collection system; 3. placing habitats in a holding rack, centrifuge, and workbench, all equipped with particulate and odor filters, 4. washing dirty cage units in an equipment cleaner, with treatment and recycling of the water; 5. designing components and facilities so as to ensure maximal accessibility for cleaning; 6. defining suitable operational procedures. Limited ground tests of prototype components indicate that proper bioisolation can thus be achieved.

The Advanced Programs Office at NASA Ames Research Center has defined hypothetical experiments for a 90-day mission on Space Station to allow analysis of the materials necessary to conduct the experiments and to assess the impact on waste processing of recyclable materials and storage requirements of samples to be returned to earth for analysis as well as of non-recyclable materials. The materials include the specimens themselves, the food, water, and gases necessary to maintain them, the expendables necessary to conduct the experiments, and the metabolic products of the specimens. This study defines the volumes. flow rates, and states of these materials, Process concepts for materials handling will include a cage cleaner, trash compactor, biological stabilizer, and various recycling devices.