Abstract View
Characterizing Ambient Droplet Aerosols on the International Space Station
KARL CARDIN, Marit Meyer, Raúl Bayoán Cal, Mark Weislogel, Portland State University
Abstract Number: 696
Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract
In the microgravity environment of a spacecraft in low Earth orbit, aerosols can contain droplets many times larger than those observed in terrestrial environments. In this study, passive aerosol samplers (PASs) were deployed near air return registers on the International Space Station (ISS) to investigate airborne debris, including droplets present in the cabin air. The PASs utilized impaction on a carbon tape substrate to collect droplets. Multiple PAS substrates were deployed at each air return register and periodically removed from the flow one at a time to provide discrete temporal data. High resolution electron microscope images were taken of the substrates after they were returned to Earth. Analysis was performed on the circular prints of solid material left behind by droplets after the liquid evaporated to identify droplet size distributions and topological characteristics of the droplet prints. Predictions of the original droplet sizes present in the airflow were also achieved. The data from this work can inform air quality improvement measures for the ISS as well as future long-term manned space missions.