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This paper presents an analysis of potential methods for the testing of Space Shuttle Main Engine turbopump assemblies in a modified Component Test Facility at Stennis Space Center. In particular, the test methods will support long-duration (approximately 250 seconds) green run (acceptance) tests. Six potential test methods were considered, including the traditional, fully pressure-fed test method, some test methods involving engine systems, and some test methods involving recirculation of the pump outlet flow, or “bootstrapping.” Two of these methods were investigated in sufficient detail to provide ROM cost estimates: the fully pressure-fed method, and one of the bootstrap methods.

A preliminary assessment of the reach envelope and field of vision (FOV) for a subject wearing a Mark III space suit was requested for use in human-machine interface design of the Science Crew Operations and Utility Testbed (SCOUT) vehicle. The reach and view of two suited and unsuited subjects were evaluated while seated in the vehicle using 3-dimensional position data collected during a series of reaching motions. Data was interpolated and displayed in orthogonal views and cross-sections. Compared with unsuited conditions, medio-lateral reach was not strongly affected by the Mark III suit, whereas vertical and antero-posterior reach were inhibited by the suit. Lateral FOV was reduced by approximately 40° in the suit. The techniques used in this case study may prove useful in human-machine interface design by providing a new means of developing and displaying reach envelopes.

Phase separation is one of the most significant obstacles encountered during the development of analytical methods for water quality monitoring in spacecraft environments. Removing air bubbles from water samples prior to analysis is a routine task on earth; however, in the absence of gravity, this routine task becomes extremely difficult. This paper details the development and initial ground testing of liquid metering centrifuge sticks (LMCS), devices designed to collect and meter a known volume of bubble-free water in microgravity. The LMCS uses centrifugal force to eliminate entrapped air and reproducibly meter liquid sample volumes for analysis with Colorimetric Solid Phase Extraction (C-SPE). Previous flight experiments conducted in microgravity conditions aboard the NASA KC-135 aircraft demonstrated that the inability to collect and meter a known volume of water using a syringe was a limiting factor in the accuracy of C-SPE measurements.

Colorimetric-solid phase extraction (C-SPE) is being developed as a method for in-flight monitoring of spacecraft water quality. C-SPE is based on measuring the change in the diffuse reflectance spectrum of indicator disks following exposure to a water sample. Previous microgravity testing has shown that air bubbles suspended in water samples can cause uncertainty in the volume of liquid passed through the disks, leading to errors in the determination of water quality parameter concentrations. We report here the results of a recent series of C-9 microgravity experiments designed to evaluate manual manipulation as a means to collect bubble-free water samples of specified volumes from water sample bags containing up to 47% air. The effectiveness of manual manipulation was verified by comparing the results from C-SPE analyses of silver(I) and iodine performed in-flight using samples collected and debubbled in microgravity to those performed on-ground using bubble-free samples.

The International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System is comprised of five subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), and Water Recovery and Management (WRM). This paper provides a summary of the nominal operation of the Node 1 THC subsystem design. The paper will also provide a discussion of the detailed Element Verification methodologies for nominal operation of the Node 1 THC subsystem operations utilized during the Qualification phase.

The International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System is comprised of five subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), and Water Recovery and Management (WRM). This paper provides a summary of the nominal operation of the Node 1 ACS, AR, and WRM design and detailed Element Verification methodologies utilized during the Qualification phase for Node 1.

A volatile organic analyzer (VOA), developed by Graseby Dynamics, Ltd. under contract to the Johnson Space Center Toxicology Laboratory, is the core instrument for trace contaminant monitoring on the International Space Station (ISS). The VOA will allow trace amounts of target compounds to be analyzed in real time so that ISS air quality can be assessed in nominal and contingency situations. Recent events on Mir have underscored the need for real-time analysis of air quality so that the crew can respond promptly during off-nominal conditions. The VOA, which is based on gas chromatography/ion mobility spectrometry, is the first spacecraft instrument to be used for such a complex task. Consequently, a risk mitigation experiment (VOA/RME) was flown to assess the performance and engineering aspects of the VOA. This paper is a review of VOA/RME results from the STS-81 and STS-89 flights and their implications for the ISS VOA design and operations.

The Lunar-Mars Life Support Test Project (LMLSTP) Phase III test examined the use of biological and physicochemical life support technologies for the recovery of potable water from waste water, the regeneration of breathable air, and the maintenance of a shirt-sleeve environment for a crew of four persons for 91 days. This represents the longest duration ground-test of life support systems with humans performed in the United States. This paper will describe the test from the inside viewpoint, concentrating on three major areas: maintenance and repair of life support elements, the scientific projects performed primarily in support of the International Space Station, and numerous activities in the areas of public affairs and education outreach.

This paper will provide an overview of the International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) design of the Node 1 Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS) subsystem and it will document some of the lessons that have been learned to date for this subsystem.

The International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System is comprised of five subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), and Water Recovery and Management (WRM). This paper provides a summary of the Node 1 ECLS WRM subsystem design and a detailed discussion of the ISS ECLS Acceptance Testing methodology utilized for that subsystem.

With the long anticipated change to increase the International Space Station (ISS) crew size from three to six crew members and the retirement of the Space Shuttle, changes are in work to the International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System to support the increased on-orbit crew size and their continued operations. The Space Shuttle had provided high pressure oxygen resupply, high pressure nitrogen resupply, water resupply, atmosphere gaseous make up when the Space Shuttle is docked to ISS, and logistic cargo supply/return capability to ISS. Without the Space Shuttle additional changes need to be made to the ISS ECLS System to support the six crew members post Assembly Complete (AC). This will be in addition to the changes that were needed to support doubling the nominal ISS crew size from three to six crew members.

The International Space Station (ISS) Pressurized Mating Adapters (PMAs) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System is comprised of three subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), and Water Recovery and Management (WRM). PMAs 1 and 2 flew to ISS on Flight 2A and Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA) 3 flew to ISS on Flight 3A. This paper provides a summary of the PMAs ECLS design and a detailed discussion of the ISS ECLS Acceptance Testing methodologies utilized for the PMAs.

The International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System is comprised of five subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), and Water Recovery and Management (WRM). This paper provides a summary of the Node 1 Emergency Response capability, which includes nominal and off-nominal FDS operation, off-nominal ACS operation, and off-nominal THC operation. These subsystems provide the capability to help aid the crew members during an emergency cabin depressurization, a toxic spill, or a fire. The paper will also provide a discussion of the detailed Node 1 ECLS Element Verification methodologies for operation of the Node 1 Emergency Response hardware utilized during the Node 1 Element Qualification phase.

Sampling and retrospective analysis of contaminant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in submarine atmospheres is essential to demonstrate compliance with exposure standards, evaluate trends, and determine new compounds introduced into the atmosphere of a submarine. Currently atmospheric VOCs are sampled using Tenax™ sorbent tubes and analysed retrospectively. In order to evaluate the efficacy of the sampling regime, submarine trials were conducted using the Volatile Organics Analyzer (VOA), borrowed from NASA. Using the results from these trials further investigative work was carried out to develop the sampling and retrospective analysis regime including passive samplers. This paper will detail findings from VOA trials, and the development of a new passive sampling regime utilising various sorption tubes.

The International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) system includes regenerative and non-regenerative technologies that provide the basic life support functions to support the crew, while maintaining a safe and habitable shirtsleeve environment. This paper provides a summary of the U.S. ECLS system activities over the past year, covering the period of time between March 2007 and February 2008. The ISS continued permanent crew operations, with the continuation of Phase 3 of the ISS Assembly Sequence. Work continues on the last of the Phase 3 pressurized elements and the continued manufacturing and testing of the regenerative ECLS equipment.

This paper presents a new portable metabolic device (PUMA-Portable Unit for Metabolic Analysis) developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center. PUMA is a battery-operated, wearable unit to measure metabolic rate (minute ventilation, oxygen up-take, carbon dioxide output and heart rate) in a clinical setting, in the field or in remote, extreme environments. The critical sensors in PUMA are located close to the mouth and sampled at 10 Hz to allow intra-breath measurements. PUMA transmits metabolic data wirelessly to a remote computer for data analysis and storage. In addition to it's primary function as a portable metabolic measurement device, the PUMA sensors can also be easily adapted to other applications, including future EVA suits where they could measure metabolic rate for a suited crew member. The first section of the paper discusses the specific technologies and innovations of PUMA.

The Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator (SWME) is the baseline heat rejection technology selected for development for the Constellation lunar suit. The first SWME prototype, designed, built, and tested at Johnson Space Center in 1999 used a Teflon hydrophobic porous membrane sheet shaped into an annulus to provide cooling to the coolant loop through water evaporation to the vacuum of space. This present study describes the test methodology and planning to compare the test performance of three commercially available hollow fiber materials as alternatives to the sheet membrane prototype for SWME, in particular, a porous hydrophobic polypropylene, and two variants that employ ion exchange through non-porous hydrophilic modified Nafion. Contamination tests will be performed to probe for sensitivities of the candidate SWME elements to ordinary constituents that are expected to be found in the potable water provided by the vehicle, the target feedwater source.

Orion is the next vehicle for human space travel. Humans will be sustained in space by the Orion subystem, environmental control and life support (ECLS). The ECLS concept at the subsystem level is outlined by function and technology. In the past two years, the interface definition with other subsystems has increased through different integrated studies. The paper presents the key requirements and discusses three recent studies (e.g., unpressurized cargo) along with the respective impacts on the ECLS design moving forward.

The International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) system includes regenerative and non-regenerative technologies that provide the basic life support functions to support the crew, while maintaining a safe and habitable shirtsleeve environment. This paper provides a summary of the U.S. ECLS system activities over the past year, covering the period of time between March 2008 and February 2009. The ISS continued permanent crew operations, with the continuation of Phase 3 of the ISS Assembly Sequence. Work continues on the last of the Phase 3 pressurized elements and the continued manufacturing and testing of the regenerative ECLS equipment.

The Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) is the first crew transport vehicle to be developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the last thirty years. The CEV is being developed to transport the crew safely from the Earth to the International Space Station and then later, from the Earth to the Moon . This year, the vehicle continued to go through design refinements to reduce weight, meet requirements, and operate reliably while preparing for Preliminary Design Review in the summer of 2009. The design of the Orion Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) system, which includes the life support and active thermal control systems, is progressing through the design stage. This paper covers the Orion ECLS development from April 2008 to April 2009.