Earth Station: Global ISS Marketing

Future of Human Spaceflight

ASTE 527 Space Exploration Architectures Concept Synthesis StudioTeam Project, Fall 2010, Astronautical Engineering Department, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California

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Life Support Systems

Courtney RoggeASTE 527Fall 2010

The Heartbeat of Human Spaceflight

Life Support Systems

• LSS copies the natural functions of Earth’s atmosphere

• LSS provides direct support to crew – Survival, Health, & Comfort

• LSS are interactive during operation

LSS

Air Revitalization

System

Food: Storage and Waste

Waste processing /

Hygiene

Water Regen VATCS Vehicle Active

Thermal Control

Fire Detection & Suppression

Types of Systems• Open loop systems

– All supplies stored or resupplied– Wastes expelled

• Closed loop systems– Supplies regenerated

Examples• Completely Open Loop

– Apollo (1968-1972): 3 crew, 14 days– Shuttle (1981-present): 4-7 crew, 14 days

• Partially Closed Loop– Skylab (1973-1974): 3 crew, 28-84 days– Orion: 4 crew, 21 days active time (lunar mission)

Life Support Systems at a Glance

Current Systems• ISS (2000-present)

– Supports 6 crew, 6 months– Initially open loop– Now partially “Very” closed loop – In use as a test bed to develop closed loop life

support systems

Life Support Systems at a Glance

• Early spacecraft used open loop systems– Small crews– Short mission

• Space Stations implemented partially closed loop systems– Small crews– Longer missions

• Current direction for LSS– Trending towards closed loop– Larger crews– Longer exploration missions

Life Support Systems at a Glance

Life Support Systems at a GlanceISS Current System

• LSS development testson Earth– Marshall Space Flight

Center– Johnson Space Center

• Further testing &development done inspace on board ISS

MSFC ECLSS Test Facility

Life Support Systems: Test Beds

Sabatier System Basics• Test Article flown Oct 2010• Recycles CO2 and H2

CO2 + 4H2 ⇒ CH4 + 2H2O– Current System In Development

• Recycles H2O

• Vents CH4 (methane)

Trace Contaminate Control – Current Activated Carbon

Cartridges – Requires resupply

International Space Station, Sabatier installation

International Space Station, TCCS Volatile Removal Assembly

Life Support : Air Revitalization Status

• Part I: Closed-Loop Sabatier System– Recycle all products– H2O recycled to Oxygen & Water Systems

– CH4 recycled to station-keeping thrusters

• Part II: Trace Contaminate System – Condense Methane (CH4) and Ammonia (NH3)

• Part III: Natural Aromas– Enhance crew morale

Propose: Closed-Loop Air Revitalization

11

Oxy GenAssembly

Trace Contaminate

ControlHEPA Filter

Crew Cabin

CDRA CO2

Molecular SieveTo Thermal

Control SystemH2

Water Processing Assembly

Food Prep & Storage

Sabatier Test Unit

CH4 to Thrusters

Aroma Therapy

H2O

Bread Maker

Propose: Closed-Loop System Development

CDRAMolecular Sieve

Oxygen Generation Assembly

Sabatier SystemCO2 + 4H2 ⇒ CH4 + 2H2O

MethaneRocket Control System

(Station Keeping) Water Recovery System

Instead of ventingCO2 & H2,

use them as inputs into a closed-loop Sabatier System

H2O

CO2

CH4

H2

Part I: Closed-Loop Sabatier System

Air System removes humidity

[ H2O, andcondensed CH4 & NH3 ]

Separation Unit

CH4H2O & NH3

Water System for further processing

Rocket Engines

Part II: Condense Methane and Ammonia out of Air

Sp

acec

raft

In

teri

or

Heat Exchanger

Mirror Surface covers Exterior

Black Surface covers Interior

Deep Space-157 ⁰C (-250 ⁰F)

Condensation Points- CH4: -162 C (-259 ⁰F)⁰

- NH3: -35 C (-31 F)⁰ ⁰

Air system passes through external heat exchanger to lower temperatures below CH4 and NH3 condensation points.

Part II: Condense Methane and Ammonia out of Air

Air Revitalization

Oxy GenAssembly Trace

ContaminateControl

HEPA Filter

CDRA CO2

Molecular Sieve

O2/N2 Storage

High PressO2/N2

CO2

H2

Sabatier Test Unit

CH4

Methane to Rocket Control System H2O

Methane Ammonia

Condenser

OxygenNitrogen to cabin

Methane AmmoniaSeparator

Ammonia to vent

From Cabin

To Thermal Control System

Part II: Condense Methane and Ammonia out of Air

• Develop Bread Maker for Station– Benefits of bread as an aroma

• Crew morale boost• Improved morale = improved crew efficiency

– Development Needs• Package dough to allow escape of heated gas,

water vapor

– Critical failures • Not a critical system

Breadman Automatic Bread Maker

Part III: Bread Maker for Aroma Therapy

• Redundancy for Crew Vehicle– Three System approach

• Each system capable of ½ the LSS capacity

– Carry critical parts as spares

• Reduce complexity– Design components for long operational life– Define components around ease-of-maintenance

• Crew comfort is critical, under-rated component– Reduce stress levels– Improve morale and performance

Development Needs for Long Missions

• Robustness & Simplicity– Reduce Sensitivity to Particulates – Reduce moving parts– Design for in-flight repair

• Reduce Resource Requirements– Self-contained systems

• Require less stowed supplies

– Toxic agents used on ISS for biocides can be reduced significantly

Development Needs for Long Missions

• Regenerative Water System– http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20090033097_2009032866.pdf

• ECLSS– http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2006/30oct_eclss/

• ECLSS System Engineering Workshop: Life Sciences Dept.– ISU SSP 2009; Ames Research Center, USA

• Methane Blast: Methane Rocket Tests– http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2007/04may_methaneblast/

• Use of Natural Aromas as an Architectural Design Element in Lunar Habitats– James D. Burke – The Planetary Society, USA, jdburke@caltech.edu – Madhu Thangavelu – University of Southern California, USA, thangavelu-girardey@cox.net

• Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS System Engineering Workshop Life Sciences Department– L. Peterson

• International Space Station -- Environmental Control and Life Support System– www.nasa.gov

• Six-Person Station Crew Completes First Workweek– Published by Klaus Schmidt on Sat Oct 16, 2010 8:02 am via: NASA – http://spacefellowship.com/news/art23195/six-person-station-crew-completes-first-workweek.html

• Preliminary Considerations for Wearable Computing in Support of Astronaut Extravehicular Activity– C. Carr, S. Schwartz, D. Newman– Published by MIT Dept of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT Media Library

References