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Extended manned missions to the lunar and martian surfaces pose new challenges for active thermal control systems (ATCS's). Moderate-temperature heat rejection becomes a problem during the lunar day, when the effective sink temperature exceeds that of the heat-rejection system. The martian atmosphere poses unique problems for rejecting moderate-temperature waste heat because of the presence of carbon dioxide and dust. During a recent study, several ATCS options including heat pumps, radiator shading devices, and single-phase flow loops were considered. The ATCS chosen for both lunar and martian habitats consists of a heat pump integral with a nontoxic fluid acquisition and transport loop, and vertically oriented modular reflux-boiler radiators. The heat pump operates only during the lunar day. The lunar and martian transfer vehicles have an internal single-phase water-acquisition loop and an external two-phase ammonia rejection system with rotating inflatable radiators.

A new waste collection system (WCS) is undergoing development for use in the extended duration orbiter (EDO). Requirements for missions up to 18 days and the capability for missions up to 30 days necessitate the development of a new WCS that will have the appropriate capacity. The new system incorporates design features from both Skylab and Space Shuttle Orbiter WCSs. For urine collection, airflow is used to entrain the fluid and transport it to the phase separator where it is separated from the airflow and pumped to the waste water tank. For fecal collection, airflow is used to transport the waste into a collection bag. After use, a plastic lid is installed on the bag, and the bag and contents are compacted. The system for EDO utilizes redundant fans and urine separators. Plans call for the new WCS to be implemented for OV-105 (Endeavor) as well as for EDO. This paper describes the design and development status of the new WCS.

Fire detection, post fire atmospheric monitoring, fire extinguishing, and post fire atmospheric cleaning are vital components of a spacecraft fire response system, Preliminary efforts focused on the technology evaluation of fire detection, post fire atmospheric monitoring and post fire cleanup systems under realistic conditions are described in this paper. While the primary objective of testing is to determine the performance of a smoke mitigation filter, supplemental evaluations measuring the smoke-filled chamber handheld Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) atmospheric monitoring devices (combustion product monitors) are conducted. The test chamber consists of a 1.4 cubic meter (50 cu. ft.) volume containing a smoke generator.

Increased nickel concentrations in the IATCS coolant prompted a study of the corrosion rates of nickel-brazed heat exchangers in the system. The testing has shown that corrosion is occurring in a silicon-rich intermetallic phase in the braze filler of coldplates and heat exchangers as the result of a decrease in the coolant pH brought about by cabin carbon dioxide permeation through polymeric flexhoses. Similar corrosion is occurring in the EMU de-ionized water loop. Certain heat exchangers and coldplates have more silicon-rich phase because of their manufacturing method, and those units produce more nickel corrosion product. Silver biocide additions did not induce pitting corrosion at silver precipitate sites.

Low Lunar Orbit (LLO) poses unique thermal challenges for the orbiting space craft, particularly regarding the performance of the radiators. The IR environment of the space craft varies drastically from the light side to the dark side of the moon. The result is a situation where a radiator sized for the maximal heat load in the most adverse situation is subject to freezing on the dark side of the orbit. One solution to this problem is to implement Phase Change Material (PCM) Heat Exchangers. PCM Heat Exchangers act as a “thermal capacitor,” storing thermal energy when there is too much being produced by the space craft to reject to space, and then feeding that energy back into the thermal loop when conditions are more favorable. Because they do not use an expendable resource, such as the feed water used by sublimators and evaporators, PCM Heat Exchangers are ideal for long duration LLO missions.