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For long-duration space missions, the life support and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) systems necessary to lower the mass and volume of consumables carried from Earth will require more sophisticated chemical processing technologies involving gas-liquid two-phase flows. This paper discusses some preliminary two-phase flow work in packed columns and generation of bubbly suspensions, two types of flow systems that can exist in a number of chemical processing devices. The experimental hardware for a co-current flow packed column operated in two ground-based low gravity facilities (two-second drop tower and KC-135 low-gravity aircraft) is described. The preliminary results of this experimental work are discussed. The flow regimes observed and the conditions under which these flow regimes occur are compared with the available co-current packed column experimental work performed in normal gravity.

When oxygen for propulsion and life support needs is extracted from Martian resources, significant savings in launch mass and costs can be attained for both manned and unmanned missions. One method involves oxygen production from the carbon dioxide rich Martian atmosphere using solid oxide electrolysis. This paper presents a brief theory of this process followed by experimental results of the research performed on planar solid oxide electrochemical cells. Analysis and discussion of the experimental results is presented in an attempt to characterize the performance of solid oxide electrolyzers for oxygen separation from carbon dioxide.