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Future National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-planned missions set stringent demands on the design of the Portable Life Support Systems (PLSS), requiring dramatic reductions in weight, decreased reliance on supplies and greater flexibility on the types of missions. Use of regenerable systems that reduce weight and volume of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) is of critical importance to NASA, both for low orbit operations and for long duration manned missions. TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) is developing a high capacity, rapid cycling sorbent to control CO2 and humidity in the space suit ventilation loop. The sorbent can be regenerated using space vacuum during the EVA, eliminating all duration-limiting elements in the life support system. This paper summarizes the results of the sorbent development and testing, and evaluation efforts.

Technology developers understand the need to optimize technologies for human missions beyond Earth. Greater benefits are achievable when systems that share common interfaces are optimized as an integrated unit, including taking advantage of possible synergies or removing counterproductive efforts at the mission level. Life support, extravehicular activity (EVA), and habitability are three systems that have significant interfaces with the crew, and thus share many common interfaces with each other. Technologies and architectures developed for these systems need to account for the effect that design decisions will have on each of the other systems. Many of these impacts stem from the use of water by the crew and the way that the life support system provides and processes that water. Other resources, especially air-related, can have significant impacts as well.

Metabolically produced carbon dioxide (CO2) removal in spacesuit applications has traditionally been accomplished utilizing non-regenerative Lithium Hydroxide (LiOH) canisters. In recent years, regenerative Metal Oxide (MetOx) has been developed to replace the Extravehicular Mobility Unity (EMU) LiOH canister for extravehicular activity (EVA) missions in micro-gravity, however, MetOx may carry a significant weight burden for potential use in future Lunar or planetary EVA exploration missions. Additionally, both of these methods of CO2 removal have a finite capacity sized for the particular mission profile. Metabolically produced water vapor removal in spacesuits has historically been accomplished by a condensing heat exchanger within the ventilation process loop of the suit life support system.