ANITA-2 – the Advanced Multicomponent Air Analyser for ISS – First Year of Operation, Hardware Behaviour, Expected Lifetime and Reliability as well as Future Updates for ANITA-3.

Abstract

The ANITA2 (Analysing Interferometer for Ambient Air) instrument is a trace gas analyser designed to operate onboard the ISS to monitor the cabin atmosphere. ANITA2 can detect more than 35 of the most important trace gases in parallel. The advantages of an ANITA-type instrument include high sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and time resolution of the measurement data, as well as no consumption except electrical power and no production of waste. This also makes ANITA a steppingstone into the future, as a precursor system for crewed stations, bases, and exploration missions, including the (Deep-Space) Gateway and to/on the Moon and Mars. ANITA-2 has been built in a contract between ESA, OHB and SINTEF, launched to the ISS in December 2021 and commissioned in Q1 of 2022. Since then ANITA-2 is monitoring the ISS gas environment on board the ISS. This paper shows the final flight hardware, describes the accommodation on board the ISS and discusses the performance of the Payload on board the ISS compared to a Ground Model. On board data of performance, opto-mechanical sensitivity, stability and reliability are shown and discussed. From this data an estimate is drawn of the expected lifetime of the life limited items. Additionally, a description of the operations concept is given and current on orbit activities are being discussed.

Developments points of for the ANITA hardware are discussed and possible future applications identified.

Description

Lukas Pfeiffer, OHB System AG, Germany
Michael Gisi, OHB System AG, Germany
Eckart Göhler, OHB System AG, Germany
Roland Seurig, OHB System AG, Germany
Armin Stettner, OHB System AG, Germany
Atle Honne, SINTEF, Norway
Kristin Kaspersen, SINTEF, Norway
Kari A. Bakke, SINTEF, Norway
Jens Thielemann, SINTEF, Norway
Anders Erik Liverud, SINTEF, Norway
Pierre Rebeyre, European Space Agency(ESA), Netherlands
ICES205: Advanced Life Support Sensor and Control Technology
The 52nd International Conference on Environmental Systems was held in Calgary, Canada, on 16 July 2023 through 20 July 2023.

Keywords

Gas Analysis, Air Analysis, FTIR, Life Support in Space, ANITA, Analysing Interferometer for Ambient Air, Trace Gas Monitoring, ISS, International Space Station, Exploration, Habitat, Real Time Monitoring, Gateway, Lunar Exploration, Human Space flight

Citation