Results from the U.S. Navy Submarine Sea Trial of the NASA Air Quality Monitor

For the past 4 years, the Air Quality Monitor (AQM) has been the operational instrument for measuring trace volatile organic compounds on the International Space Station (ISS). The key components of the AQM are the inlet preconcentrator, the gas chromatograph (GC), and the differential mobility spectrometer. On board the ISS are two AQMs with different GC columns that detect and quantify 22 compounds. The AQM data contributes valuable information to the assessment of air quality aboard the ISS for crew health. The U.S. Navy is looking to update its suite of instruments for air monitoring aboard submarines, and the success of the AQM on the ISS has led to a jointly planned submarine sea trial of a NASA AQM. In addition to the AQM, the Navy is also interested in the Multi-Gas Monitor (MGM), which measures major constituent gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ammonia). A separate paper will present the MGM sea trial preparation and the analysis of the most recent ISS data. A prototype AQM, which is virtually identical to the operational AQM, has been readied for the sea trial. Only 1 AQM will be deployed during the sea trial, but this is sufficient for NASA purposes and to detect the compounds of interest to the U.S. Navy for this trial. The data from the sea trial will be compared to data from archival samples collected before, during, and after the trial period.
A brief overview of the AQM technology and preparation for the submarine trial will be presented. The majority of the presentation will focus on the AQM performance during the trial with comparison of AQM and archival data before, during, and after the submarine trial.