Preliminary Results from the Exploration Aerosol Monitors (ExAM) ISS Flight Demonstration

CLAIRE FORTENBERRY, NASA Glenn Research Center

     Abstract Number: 594
     Working Group: Indoor Aerosols

Abstract
As NASA plans a return to the Moon and future expeditions to Mars, improved particulate monitoring technologies are needed to address risks associated with long-duration space expeditions. These risks include intrusion of under-characterized contaminants into the cabin, including Lunar and Martian dust, longer-term periods of exposure, and an increasingly Earth-independent posture where crew will not be able to rely on ground support if dust mitigation strategies fail. The Exploration Aerosol Monitors (ExAM) technology demonstration was launched in the spring of 2025 to test three complementary aerosol monitors, each of which was developed by a small business through NASA support: the Moderated Aerosol Growth with Internal Water Cycling monitor (MAGIC; Aerosol Dynamics, Inc.), the Mobile Aerosol Sampler (MAS; Access Sensor Technologies), and the OPto-Electrical Real-time Aerosol classifier (OPERA; TelosAir, Inc.). The ExAM suite will be deployed for seven months in total, sampling for approximately one month at seven different locations within the International Space Station's (ISS) US Orbital Segment (USOS). In addition, passive aerosol samplers (RJ Lee Group) are deployed at these and three other locations to continue investigating aerosol compositions, morphologies, and sources within the ISS USOS, building upon results from NASA's previous Aerosol Sampling Experiment investigation. Here, we present preliminary results from the ExAM technology demonstration, including mass and number concentrations at locations sampled thus far. We contextualize these results using data from previous investigations, including the Airborne Particulate Monitor (APM) ISS technology demonstration. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges for spacecraft aerosol monitoring for future long-duration exploration missions.