Waste Management Technology and the Drivers for Space Missions

Document Number: 2008-01-2047

Date Published: June 2008

Author(s):
John W. Fisher - NASA Ames Research Center
John Hogan - NASA Ames Research Center
Lance Delzeit - NASA Ames Research Center
Travis Liggett - NASA Ames Research Center
Kanapathipillai Wignarajah - Enterprise Avisory Services Inc.
Eric Litwiller - Enterprise Avisory Services Inc.
Ric Alba - Enterprise Avisory Services Inc.
Gregory Pace - Lockheed Martin Technical Operations
Thomas Fox - Foothill College

Abstract:
Since the mid 1980s, NASA has developed advanced waste management technologies that collect and process waste. These technologies include incineration, hydrothermal oxidation, pyrolysis, electrochemical oxidation, activated carbon production, brine dewatering, slurry bioreactor oxidation, composting, NOx control, compaction, and waste collection. Some of these technologies recover resources such as water, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon, fuels, and nutrients. Other technologies such as the Waste Collection System (WCS - the commode) collect waste for storage or processing. The need for waste processing varies greatly depending upon the mission scenario. This paper reviews the waste management technology development activities conducted by NASA since the mid 1980s and explores the drivers that determine the application of these technologies to future missions.

File Size: 2058K
Product Status: In Stock

Included in: V117-2008

See other papers presented at International Conference On Environmental Systems, June 2008, San Francisco, CA, USA, Session: Physico-Chemical Life Support Process Development (Part 1 of 3)

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