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The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) on Space Station utilizes the Stand Alone Major Constituent Analyzer (SAMCA) for monitoring major atmospheric constituents from several sampling locations within the station. This paper describes the design of the flight SAMCA instrument and contains: system overview, SAMCA interface description, mechanical description, operational mode summary, and performance capabilities. The SAMCA monitors six major constituents: oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, water vapor, and methane. In order to monitor these gases the SAMCA uses a permanent-magnet, single-focusing mass spectrometer. This configuration was originally developed for the Skylab metabolic analyzer and most recently used for the Spacelab's Gas Analyzer Mass Spectrometer, GAMS. For the SAMCA application, the mass spectrometer and its support electronics were repackaged to meet Space Station requirements.

Perkin-Elmer is providing the Atmosphere Composition Monitor (ACM) for the Space Station Freedom Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) being developed under Work Package 1 by the prime contractor, Boeing Aerospace & Electronics (BA&E), a division of The Boeing Company. In addition to ECLSS, BA&E will build Space Station Freedom's living and working modules as Work Package 01 under prime contract with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Prior to production of flight hardware the ECLSS system will be tested in the Predevelopment Operational System Test (POST). “Predevelopment” or POST equipment must meet flight hardware functional requirements, but not size, weight, and power goals. The POST ACM consists of the following major modules: a Major Constituent Analyzer, a Trace Contaminant Monitor, a Carbon Monoxide Analyzer, a Particle Counter Monitor, a Sample Acquisition System and a Computer System.