ANITA2 on its way now to ISS - Latest results and developments of the multicomponent ISS Air Analyser

The advanced ISS air monitor ANITA2 follows the European precursor mission ANITA1, which in 2007 an 2008 successfully operated on ISS for 11 months. ANITA1 delivered information on the air conditions analysing in parallel 32 of the most important trace gases in the cabin atmosphere. The data have shown the dynamics in manned space cabins atmosphere and became an important decision and working basis for responsible space agencies. The advantages of the ANITA type instruments are high time resolution, high accuracy and precision in the measurement data and no consumables with the exception of moderate electrical power. The spectrometer relies on optical analyses with an Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer. For stable operations with good detection limits the gas to be analysed is regularly flushed into a gas cell and brought back into the cabin after the measurement. At the time of the conference the phase1 of the next generation ANITA2 development has already started with a goal of an instrument flight on ISS by 2019. To keep within this development schedule, critical subsystems have been bread boarded in two earlier ESA technology programs. Beside a significant reduction in size, mass, volume and power consumption, ANITA2 will show improved characteristics in gas analysis sensitivity of at least one order of magnitude compared to ANITA1. To achieve this, sophisticated analysis S/W plays again an important role for the overall instrument performance. Applying non-linear analysis methods the system calibration is very important for the final overall instrument characteristics.

ANITA2 represents a precursor system for crewed CIS lunar exploration missions and in the future also for missions to Mars and Moon. The paper gives a status report on the instrument BB activities and analysis software developments giving an outlook into the future programmatic.

The work described is performed under contract of ESA.