Search Results

Instrumentation, consisting of a Shuttle Particle Sampler (SPS) and a Shuttle Particle Monitor (SPM), has been developed to characterize the airborne particulate matter in the Space Shuttle cabin during orbital flight. The SPS size selectively collects particles in four size fractions (0-2.5, 2.5-10, 10-100, and >100 μm) which are analyzed postflight for mass concentration and size distribution, for elemental composition, and for morphology. The SPM provides a continuous record of particle concentration through photometric light scattering. Measurements were performed onboard Columbia, OV-102, during the flight of STS-32 in January 1990. No significant changes were observed in the particle mass concentration, size distribution or chemical composition in samples collected during flightday 2 and flightday 7. The total mass concentration was 56 μg/m3 with approximately half of the particles larger than 100 μm.

The Environmental Health System (EHS), a subsystem of the Space Station Freedom (SSF) Crew Health Care System, was established to ensure that crewmembers will have a safe and healthy environment in which to live and work. EHS is comprised of six subsystems: Microbiology, Toxicology, Water Quality, Radiological Health, Vibroacoustics, and Barothermal Physiology. Each subsystem contributes to the overall functions of the EHS including environmental planning, environmental monitoring, environmental health assessments, and operations support. The EHS will provide hardware for monitoring the air, water, and internal surfaces of Freedom, including capabilities for inflight sample collection, processing, and analysis. The closed environment of SSF, and its dependence on recycled air and water, will necessitate a reliable monitoring system to alert crewmembers if contamination levels exceed the maximum allowable limits established to ensure crew health and safety.

The closed environment of Space Station Freedom, unique in its dependence on recycled air and water and extended tours of crew duty, will pose unparalleled challenges in the area of internal contamination control and environmental health. Various planned operational activities will have the potential to contribute to the contamination load of the station environment. Sensitive and effective detection methods will be required to alert crewmembers if contamination levels exceed the maximum allowable limits established to ensure crew health and safety. The Environmental Health System (EHS) is being developed to provide Freedom with capabilities for environmental sample collection, processing, and analysis of the breathing atmosphere, potable and hygiene water, and internal surfaces. The EHS will provide monitoring capabilities utilizing six subsystems: microbiology, toxicology, water quality, radiological health, vibroacoustics, and barothermal physiology.