Browsing by Author "Gardner, Ben"
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Item International Space Station Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) On-orbit Performance(49th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2019-07-07) Gardner, Ben; Erwin, Phillip; Denson, Stephen; Ulrich, BettyLynnThe Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) is an integral part of the International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). It is a mass spectrometer-based instrument designed to provide critical monitoring of six major atmospheric constituents: nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor. These gases are sampled continuously and automatically in all United States On-Orbit Segment (USOS) modules via the Sample Distribution System (SDS). The MCA is the primary tool for management of atmosphere constituents and is therefore critical for ensuring a habitable ISS environment during both nominal ISS operations and isolated airlock operations including extravehicular activity (EVA) preparation. This paper discusses the performance of the MCA on orbit over the past year, with particular attention paid to lessons learned regarding the operational life of critical components. This year a second MCA was activated on orbit, and the operation of two MCA systems simultaneously provides the opportunity to evaluate the consistency of their performance. Recent data have also helped validate design upgrades to the filaments and ion pumps for a new set of orbit-replaceable units (ORUs) – upgrades that were implemented in the last several years for both production and depot overhaul units.Item International Space Station Major Constituent Analyzer On-orbit Performance(46th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2016-07-10) Gardner, Ben; Erwin, Phillip; Chladek, Rache; Matty, ChrisThe Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) is an integral part of the International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). It is a mass spectrometer-based instrument designed to provide critical monitoring of six major atmospheric constituents: nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor. These gases are sampled continuously and automatically in all United States On-Orbit Segment (USOS) modules via the Sample Distribution System (SDS). The MCA is the primary tool for management of atmosphere constituents and is therefore critical for ensuring a habitable ISS environment during both nominal ISS operations and campout EVA preparation in the Airlock. This paper discusses the performance of the MCA on orbit over the past year, with particular attention to lessons learned regarding the operational life of critical components. Recent data have helped validate design upgrades to the filaments and ion pumps for a new set of orbit-replaceable units (ORUs) – upgrades that were implemented in the last several years for both production and depot overhaul units. The upgrades for the analyzer (ORU 02) are designed to increase expected lifetimes and reliability of these subsystems. Additionally, MCA has generated preliminary data for the detection of ammonia, which expands MCA capability and mission set.Item International Space Station Major Constituent Analyzer On-orbit Performance(47th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2017-07-16) Gardner, Ben; Erwin, PhillipThe Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) is an integral part of the International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). It is a mass spectrometer-based instrument designed to provide critical monitoring of six major atmospheric constituents: nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor. These gases are sampled continuously and automatically in all United States On-Orbit Segment (USOS) modules via the Sample Distribution System (SDS). The MCA is the primary tool for management of atmosphere constituents and is therefore critical for ensuring a habitable ISS environment during both nominal ISS operations and isolated airlock operations including EVA preparation. This paper discusses the performance of the MCA on orbit over the past year, with particular attention to lessons learned regarding the operational life of critical components. This year a second MCA was activated on orbit, and the operation of two MCA systems simultaneously provides the opportunity to evaluate the consistency of their performance. Recent data have also helped validate design upgrades to the filaments and ion pumps for a new set of orbit-replaceable units (ORUs) – upgrades that were implemented in the last several years for both production and depot overhaul units. The upgrades for the analyzer (ORU 02) are designed to increase expected lifetimes and reliability of these subsystems. Finally, MCA has generated preliminary data for the detection of ammonia, which expands MCA capability and mission set.Item Recent Major Constituent Analyzer Performance on the International Space Station(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Gardner, Ben; Denson, Stephen; Huffman, Mark; Zimmerman, TylerThis is the latest installment in our series of presentations describing the performance of the Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The MCA is a mass spectrometer-based system for monitoring six major atmospheric constituents and is an integral part of the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). The MCA has accumulated an extensive history of performance data that can be used to drive improved design and performance requirements for both the MCA proper and for future atmosphere monitoring systems. This paper discusses the latest performance of the MCA on orbit during 2018 through 2022 years, with particular attention to ion source filament current and lifetime, response drift, and sensitivity drift. Expected component lifetimes, impact to logistics and ISS support, and implications for future missions going forward will be discussed.