ANITA Air Monitoring on the International Space Station Part 1: The Mission

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

After the launch to the International Space Station with The Space Shuttle flight STS 118 13A.1 on August 9th 2007 and the accommodation in the US lab Destiny, the air quality monitor ANITA (Analyzing Interferometer for Ambient Air) has been successfully put into operation. ANITA is a technology demonstrator flight experiment being able to continuously monitor with high time resolution the air conditions within the crewed cabins of the ISS (International Space Station). The system has its origin in a long term ESA (European Space Agency) technology development program. The ANITA mission itself is an ESA-NASA cooperative project. ESA is responsible for the provision of the HW (Hardware), the data acquisition and data evaluation. NASA's responsibilities are launch, accommodation in the US Lab Destiny, operation and data download. The ANITA air analyser is designed to detect and quantify online and with high time resolution 30 trace gases simultaneously with down to sub-ppm (parts per million) detection limits in addition to the always present background gases carbon dioxide and water vapour. The air analyser thus monitors the trace gas dynamics of the spacecraft's atmosphere in providing continuous air monitoring as well as crew warning capability in case of malfunctions. Beside continuous measurements in the vicinity of the gas monitor, air samples from remote places in the International Space Station can be analyzed using gas bags and a hand pump. However, considering the experimental character of ANITA, the measurements are not on-line visible to the Crew. ANITA is an on-orbit test experiment and a precursor for a permanent continuous trace gas monitoring system on the ISS – ANITA II. It further represents a precursor system for future air monitoring in crewed vehicles being developed for the Human Space Exploration program. This is the first paper of two describing the measurement principle, the HW and the mission on the ISS. Finally, an outlook into the future highlights the potential of the ANITA technology for the Exploration program. The work described has been performed under contract of the European Space Agency.

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Change in skin physiological parameters in space–report on and results of the first study on man

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

Astronauts often show skin reactions in space. Systematic tests, e.g. with noninvasive skin physiological test methods, have not yet been done. In an interdisciplinary cooperation, a test series with skin physiological measurements was carried out before, during and after a long-term mission in the International Space Station. The hydration of the stratum corneum (Corneometer), transepidermal water loss (Tewameter), and the surface structure of the skin (SkinVisiometer) were measured. In order to record cutaneous states, the suction elasticity was measured (Cutometer), and an ultrasound measurement with 20 MHz (DermaScan) was also made. In addition, one measuring field of the two inner forearms was treated with a skin care emulsion. There were indications of a delayed epidermal proliferation of the cells, which would correspond to the clinical symptoms. Hydration and TEWL values are improved by respective skin care. On the cutaneous level, the elasticity measurements and the ultrasound picture showed results which correspond to a significant loss of elasticity of the skin. Further examinations are necessary to validate these preliminary results.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18663342

Experimental evaluation of on-board, visual mapping of an object spinning in micro-gravity aboard the International Space Station

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

Spacecraft proximity operations near an unknown and uncooperative and spinning target object is a challenging problem. One of the key steps in ensuring safe operations is building a map of the target object. Additionally, it is useful to estimate the relative position, orientation, linear and angular velocities of the object as well as its center of mass, principal axes of inertia and ratios of inertia so that the object's pose can be accurately propagated forward in time. This paper reviews an approach for building a map of an unknown and spinning object, and presents experimental results of this algorithm when it was run onboard the Synchronized Position Hold Engage Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) and Visual Estimation for Relative Tracking and Inspection of Generic Objects (VERTIGO) Goggles that are operating within the International Space Station. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time a solution to a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) problem has been run on a computer that is in space.

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http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=6942878

Mold species in dust from the International Space Station identified and quantified by mold-specific quantitative PCR

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

Dust was collected over a period of several weeks in 2007 from HEPA filters in the U.S. Laboratory Module of the International Space Station (ISS). The dust was returned on the Space Shuttle Atlantis, mixed, sieved and the DNA was extracted. Using a DNA-based method called mold-specific quantitative PCR (MSQPCR), 39 molds were measured in the dust. Potential opportunistic pathogens Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger and potential moderate toxin producers Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium brevicompactum were noteworthy. No cells of the potential opportunistic pathogens Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus, Fusarium solani or Candida albicans were detected.

Related URLs:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0923250808000892

Reentry Breakup Recorder: An innovative device for collecting data during breakup of reentering objects

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

More than 40 large, human-made, uncontrolled objects reenter the earth's atmosphere every year, and some fraction of the mass of each object survives to impact the ground or water. Some of these surviving objects are sizable and potentially hazardous. Recognizing this fact, space agencies are developing regulations and standards to limit ground hazards. Unfortunately, detailed information on how objects respond to the severe heating and loads environment is not available due to the difficulty in recording and broadcasting data during reentry and breakup. The Reentry Breakup Recorder (REBR) was developed using a different paradigm – rather than broadcasting data during the breakup event, record the data and broadcast it after the reentry has effectively ended, but before the data recorder actually impacts the Earth's surface. The paper describes how this approach minimizes the weight of the recording device and the overall cost of data recovery. The first flight tests of the REBR device were conducted in 2011; a REBR was inside the Japanese HTV2 and the European ATV-2 vehicles when they were deorbited into the Pacific Ocean. The paper presents a summary of the results of those tests and gives an overview of how future versions of REBR will revolutionize our understanding of reentry breakup and might be used to prototype "black box" systems for space transportation vehicles.

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Assessment and control of spcaecraft charging risks on the International Space Station

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

The International Space Station (ISS) operates in the F2 region of Earth's ionosphere, orbiting at altitudes ranging from 350 to 450 km at an inclination of 51.6 degrees. The relatively dense, cool F2 ionospheric plasma suppresses surface charging processes much of the time, and the flux of relativistic electrons is low enough to preclude deep dielectric charging processes. The most important spacecraft charging processes in the ISS orbital environment are: 1) ISS electrical power system interactions with the F2 plasma, 2) magnetic induction processes resulting from flight through the geomagnetic field and, 3) charging processes that result from interaction with auroral electrons at high latitude. Recently, the continuing review and evaluation of putative ISS charging hazards required by the ISS Program Office revealed that ISS charging could produce an electrical shock hazard to the ISS crew during extravehicular activity (EVA). ISS charging risks are being evaluated in an ongoing measurement and analysis campaign. The results of ISS charging measurements are combined with a recently developed model of ISS charging (the Plasma Interaction Model) and an exhaustive analysis of historical ionospheric variability data (ISS Ionospheric Specification) to evaluate ISS charging risks using Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) methods. The PRA combines estimates of the frequency of occurrence and severity of the charging hazards with estimates of the reliability of various hazard controls systems, as required by NASA s safety and risk management programs, to enable design and selection of a hazard control approach that minimizes overall programmatic and personnel risk. The PRA provides a quantitative methodology for incorporating the results of the ISS charging measurement and analysis campaigns into the necessary hazard reports, EVA procedures, and ISS flight rules required for operating ISS in a safe and productive manner.

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Swing bed canister with heat transfer features

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A swing bed canister assembly for a regenerative carbon dioxide removal system includes a housing that includes an integrally formed central wall that divides an adsorbing amine bed from a desorbing amine bed. The central wall defines spaces for each of the amine beds so that each portion of the desorbing amine bed is disposed in thermal communication with an adsorbing amine bed to facilitate desorption.

Related URLs:
https://www.google.com/patents/US7637988

SPHERES Operations aboard the ISS: Maturation of GN&C Algorithms in Microgravity

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The Synchronized Position Hold Engage Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Program, at the MIT Space Systems Laboratory, provides research scientists with a facility to incrementally and iteratively mature estimation, control, autonomy, and artificial intelligence algorithms to advance the field of Distributed Satellite Systems. Operations aboard the ISS began in May 2006, with a total of five sessions completed by the end of 2006. These sessions achieved a wide range of successes including the demonstration of both formation flight and autonomous docking algorithms. The docking algorithms were developed incrementally throughout the five tests sessions, making heavy use of the reconfiguration and modularity features of the SPHERES design. The architecture for the docking algorithms is based on the development of smaller simple modules that implement: two estimation algorithms based on extended Kalman filters; mixer functions to convert forces and torques to thruster on/off commands; glideslope, phase-plane, and PID-type controllers; and fault detection and isolation algorithms. The modules were tested piecewise and assembled together to create increasingly complex docking maneuvers. The tests culminated with the successful demonstration of two SPHERES satellites performing cooperative docking to fixed targets, demonstrating the capabilities of safe docking maneuvers, and performing the first microgravity docking to a tumbling target.

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Materials on the International Space Station Experiment-5, Forward Technology Solar Cell Experiment: First On-Orbit Data

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

First on-orbit data from the forward technology solar cell experiment (FTSCE) are presented. FTSCE is housed within the 5<sup>th </sup> Materials on the International Space Station Experiment (MISSE-5), and currently resides on the exterior of the ISS. A range of solar cell technologies are included in the experiment including triple junction (3J) InGaP/GaAs/Ge solar cells from several vendors, thin film amorphous Si and CuIn(Ga)Se<sub>2</sub> cells, and next-generation technologies like single-junction GaAs cells grown on Si wafers and metamorphic InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction cells. Measured current vs. voltage (IV) curves from on- board experiments are analyzed. All of the solar cell technologies are showing nominal performance with no obvious signs of degradation

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Stereo images from space

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

The Erasmus Recording Binocular (ERB1) was the first fully digital stereo camera used on the International Space Station. One year after its first utilisation, the results and feedback collected with various audiences have convinced us to continue exploiting the outreach potential of such media, with its unique capability to bring space down to earth, to share the feeling of weightlessness and confinement with the viewers on earth. The production of stereo is progressing quickly but it still poses problems for the distribution of the media. The Erasmus Centre of the European Space Agency has experienced how difficult it is to master the full production and distribution chain of a stereo system. Efforts are also on the way to standardize the satellite broadcasting part of the distribution. A new stereo camera is being built, ERB2, to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2008: it shall have 720p resolution, it shall be able to transmit its images to the ground in real-time allowing the production of live programs and it could possibly be used also outside the ISS, in support of Extra Vehicular Activities of the astronauts. These new features are quite challenging to achieve in the reduced power and mass budget available to space projects and we hope to inspire more designers to come up with ingenious ideas to built cameras capable to operate in the hash Low Earth Orbit environment: radiations, temperature, power consumption and thermal design are the challenges to be met. The intent of this paper is to share with the readers the experience collected so far in all aspects of the 3D video production chain and to increase awareness on the unique content that we are collecting: nice stereo images from space can be used by all actors in the stereo arena to gain consensus on this powerful media. With respect to last year we shall present the progress made in the following areas: a) the satellite broadcasting live of stereo content to D-Cinema's in Europe; b) the design challenges to fly the camera outside the ISS as opposed to ERB1 that was only meant to be used in the pressurized environment of the ISS; c) on-board stereo viewing on a stereo camera has been tackled in ERB1: trade offs between OLED and LCOS display technologies shall be presented; d) HD_SDI cameras versus USB2 or Firewire; e) the hardware compression ASIC solutions used to tackle the high data rate on-board; f) 3D geometry reconstruction: first attempts in reconstructing a computer model of the interior of the ISS starting form the stereo video available.

Related URLs:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.768982