Browsing by Author "Ulrich, BettyLynn"

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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, BettyLynn
The 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.
Is Direct Methane Removal in Human Space Flight Required?
(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Ulrich, BettyLynn
Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) is a major part of human space flight and habitation. Great care is taken to ensure an environment not only capable of supporting human life, but also one that is comfortable. One aspect of that habitable and comfortable environment is controlling trace contaminants in the atmosphere. The document the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) uses to govern the levels of specific compounds considered trace contaminants is the Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations (SMAC) for Selected Airborne Contaminants (JSC 20584) which is publicly available on the internet. While more attention is given to ammonia (NH3), propylene glycol (C3H8O2), and other physically toxic compounds, one of the most difficult atmospheric trace contaminants to remove directly is methane (CH4). Many technical papers have discussed the process of direct CH4 removal – what is required and potential future techniques to mature. This paper explores how to determine whether CH4 removal is required and the advantages or disadvantages associated with its implementation.
Lessons Learned from the Airborne Particulate Monitor ISS Payload
(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Meyer, Marit; Ulrich, BettyLynn
Particulate monitoring on spacecraft has not been undertaken for air quality purposes until the recent payload on the International Space Station (ISS). The Airborne Particulate Monitor (APM) is a reference-quality instrument technology demonstration that characterized the airborne particles in the ISS cabin in real-time. Onboard aerosols have been measured with this higher fidelity instrument, so future miniaturized low-power aerosol instruments can be reliably compared in future ISS experiments. Several issues were encountered during the payload operations that are a result of the unique environment on ISS, which could not have been anticipated or eliminated by ground testing. First, the ISS had very small amounts of particulate matter in the particle measurement size range of the APM, which was unexpected. Second, despite the measured �clean� environment, larger debris such as lint accumulated regularly on the cleanable inlet screen, which required regular inspection and crew time. The third issue is that particle emissions measured on ISS depend only on the activities in the immediate vicinity of the particle instrument and total particle concentrations cannot be generalized for the entire module. Finally, the sampling efficiency of APM on ISS is unknown because aisle-deployed instruments attached to wall panels of ISS are in the boundary layer of the large-scale ventilation flow of the modules. These issues are discussed and potential solutions for future particulate monitors are presented.
Poisoning Evaluation of On-Orbit Sabatier Assembly
(2020 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2020-07-31) Carpenter, Joyce; Yu, Ping; Woods, Julius; Goberman, Daniel; Galvin, Lynda; Garr, John; Ulrich, BettyLynn
The Sabatier Assembly (SA) P/N SV1015510-1 was designed by Collins Aerospace to partially close the life support loop on ISS by reacting two waste gases (carbon dioxide and hydrogen) to form water (and waste methane). Waste CO2 is recovered from cabin air by the Carbon Dioxide Recovery Assembly (CDRA) and waste H2 comes from the Oxygen Generation System (OGS). By recycling these waste gases, this reduces the need to launch excess water, which is costly. The SA was successfully launched in 2010, and was in operation from June 2011 through October 2017. During that period of time, Sabatier produced 1081 liters of water. In 2018, the Sabatier on-orbit unit began to show significant signs of degradation in the reactor. To keep the system operating, this required increasingly involved procedures to restart the reaction after a shutdown. Eventually, the decision was made to shut down the Sabatier Assembly and to return it to Collins Aerospace for TT&E (Test, Teardown and Evaluation) with the goal of providing an upgraded system to support Exploration demonstration hardware on ISS. This paper reports the poisoning evaluation results of the catalyst reactor.
Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor Technology Demonstration Unit 1 Initial Performance On Board the International Space Station
(50th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/12/2021) Matty, Christopher; Ulrich, BettyLynn
The Spacecraft Air Monitor (SAM) is an advanced Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer being developed and fielded onboard the International Space Station as a Payload Technology Demonstrator. The eventual goal of such Payload Technology Demonstrators is to prove system capabilities for human spaceflight, with a particular goal toward future development and implementation for deep space exploration. This paper will cover the initial fielding of SAM Technology Demonstration Unit 1 (TDU-1) on board the International Space Station, the initial checkout of the system, and the associated data gathering from this period.
Trade Study Considerations for Fire Detection, Suppression and Remediation Systems for Commercial Space Missions
(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Meyer, Marit; Ulrich, BettyLynn
With the upcoming retirement of the International Space Station (ISS) and NASA's Moon to Mars campaign, NASA is actively building the United States space economy by engaging private industry in the design of vehicles and missions for human space flight. The future successes of commercial space endeavors rely on the ability to procure proven and effective life support equipment in the marketplace. Budgets and schedules for typical missions do not allow for individual companies to design and build flight hardware for all required systems in-house. They must rely either on re-creating NASA heritage designs (assuming that the design calculations, drawings, reports, and analyses are available through official resource requests) or purchasing commercially available systems that have been demonstrated on the International Space Station. The latter would be considered at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 9 as they have been proven successful in an operational mission environment. The available alternatives can be expanded by procuring lower TRL systems (potentially as low as TRL 5), which require longer lead times and carry additional risks that may be reduced by extensive testing. This paper outlines a trade study methodology to identify and rank available hardware options for commercial space entities, in this case, for fire detection, suppression and remediation. This is a subset of the comprehensive Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) trade studies that have been done by Northrop Grumman. While this approach creates a suite of optimized hardware alternatives, the final choices for a given program will depend on the use case, priority, and budget of each individual mission or program.