Search Results

The microgravity environment presents unique challenges to mass measurement. Early attempts to develop a human mass measurement device for space application include: 1) a spring oscillator design, developed by astronaut Dr. William Thornton, used in Spacelab, and 2) a linear acceleration device, developed by the former Soviet Union, used in the Mir space station. Accurate measurement of human body mass in microgravity is important for both research and crew health care monitoring. To accommodate this requirement, the Human Research Facility (HRF) has developed an improved acceleration-based Space Linear Acceleration Mass Measurement Device (SLAMMD) for the International Space Station (ISS).

A linear displacement aerometer has been developed for the measurement of the volume percent of free and dissolved gas in water samples. This paper discusses the design and testing of the prototype linear displacement aerometer that was incorporated into the Optical Water Quality Analyzer (OWQA) breadboard, an instrument that is being developed to monitor the quality of water samples on Space Station Freedom. Consumption of liquids containing excessive amounts of free or dissolved gas in microgravity can potentially cause gastrointestinal discomfort. The OWQA aerometer will determine the free and dissolved gas contents of water samples from the Space Station processed water distribution system so that potential health impacts may be assessed prior to consumption.