Abstract View
Aerosol Concentration Signatures on the International Space Station from a Real-time, Long Term Monitor
MARIT MEYER, Benjamin Sumlin, NASA Glenn Research Center
Abstract Number: 408
Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract
Space is the new frontier, and currently many countries and commercial entities are pursuing exploration opportunities for humans to reside beyond Earth. The International Space Station (ISS) is a test bed for proving life support technologies that will enable safe exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit. NASA’s Artemis missions will return humans to the Moon using the ISS-proven technologies. Beyond these missions, NASA’s Moon2Mars exploration goals will take humans farther out in the solar system for significantly longer durations. Maintaining good air quality in spacecraft and habitats is fundamental for the success of these missions. On the ISS, the air revitalization system has been under development for the 20 years it has been inhabited by humans, and includes HEPA-level filtration, CO2 removal, oxygen generation and control of trace contaminant gases. Environmental monitoring ensures these and other processes are functioning, and for air quality, this includes gas and particulate monitoring.
The Airborne Particulate Monitor (APM), launched to the ISS in October 2020, made the first real-time aerosol measurements on ISS for the purpose of quantifying air quality. Nearly five months of continuous operation generated a large data set of particle concentrations that has been analyzed to understand trends and typical ‘aerosol signatures’ based on different ISS locations and total number of crew members. We present the results of this analysis, along with discussion of notable aerosol events which underscore the need for high-fidelity, long term monitoring.