NASAEnvironmental Systems Commercial

Space Technology Center(ES CSTC)

Overview Briefingby

William J. SheehanSept. 25, 2002

D epu tyD irec tor

D r. Dav id C hyn ow eth(A ctin g)

A sso c iate Direc torfo r R esearch

P eg gy E van ich(U F fun ded)

T ech n ica l Leadfo r A ir

D r. Jean A nd ino

O fficeS ecre ta ry

T ech n ica l Leadfo r W ater

D r. D av id M azyck

T ech n ica l Leadfo r So lid W asteD r. A rt T e ixe ira

D irec torW illiam S heeh an

Environmental SystemsCommercial Space Technology Center

(ES CSTC)

• Mission Statement– The mission of the NASA ES CSTC is to lead a

national effort in developing environmental systems technologies that enhance space missions through cooperative efforts with NASA scientists and technologists, commercial companies, and academic researchers.

The goal of the ES CSTC is to work with NASA, academia and industry partners who are currently advancing the state of environmental systems in order to develop technologies that meet NASA’s needs for safe long-duration human spaceflight, while serving as a catalyst for commercial, terrestrial application of the technologies developed.

Environmental Systems Commercial Space Technology Center

(ES CSTC)

Technology Foci

• Water Recovery• Solid Waste Recovery• Air Revitalization

ES CSTC Year 1 Strategy

• Two UF pilot projects started

• AO and RFPP Issued

• 24 Pre-proposals received

• External Peer Review of all

• Top 2/3 reviewed by ETAC, CAC and prioritized

• Full proposals requested on 6

• 3 of 6 full proposals funded

Lessons Learned from Year 1

• Open RFP Process inhibits other collaborations

• Available funding did not match proposal requests

• Commercial assessments awaited project selection

• NASA funding availability varies with budget demands

• Commercial success will require other methods of project selection

ES CSTC Year 2 Strategy

• Outreach to other Universities

• Outline dual mission

• Solicit ideas for projects that meet the dual NASA mission

• Evaluate the project proposals

• Apply funding to proposals with highest potential for success

Ideal Project Structure

• Innovative proposal within ES CSTC technical mission

• Commercial application identified and realistic

• Commercial Partner included on research team

• Some form of cost sharing from university/com. partner

• Advance agreement for sharing of commercial proceeds

• Collaborative approach for addressing the dual technical and commercial mission of the ES CSTC

Guidelines to Consider

• NASA Basic Tenets for Designers of Advanced Life Support Systems

• Basic research not part of ES CSTC mission

• Technology Readiness Level 3 or above

• All proposals will receive a technical peer review

• All proposals will be assessed for commercial realism

• Collaborative proposals are the highest priority

ES CSTC Technical Focus Areas

• Solid Waste Recovery • Water Recovery

• Air Revitalization

• Systems integration is essential

• Research focus is mission dependent

Stabilization and processing for ALS resources recovery (e.g., N2, O2, H2O, etc.)

Collecting and conditioning of waste material from anywhere in the crew habitat (vehicle or surface), including packaging, human wastes, inedible biomass, and brines from other subsystems such as the Water Recovery System  Sterilization and storage of the waste, or reclamation of life support commodities, depending on the life support system closure and/or mission parameters (e.g., duration)

Solid Waste Recovery

Solid Waste RecoveryALS Solid Waste Recovery Technology Needs

1) Maximized recoverable resources with minimal impacts to other systems  

2) Long-term stabilization/storage of wet, dry, biodegradable and biohazardous wastes (e.g., heat sterilization, compaction, freeze drying, etc.)

 3) Safe transport of a large variety of solid wastes in microgravity (includes solids handling, particle size reduction, slurry preparation, etc.)

 4) End-to-end automation of a solid waste processor and improvements in monitoring and control for increased crew autonomy

 5) Post-processing (including collection, post-treatment, stowage of non-useable products, etc.) technologies that eliminate undesirable by products (e.g., NO, SO2)

 6) Reduced system mass, power and volume

 

7) Chemicals and microbial control (including odor control) for a closed environment

ES CSTC Technical Focus Areas

• Solid Waste Recovery • Water Recovery

• Air Revitalization

• Systems integration is essential

• Research focus is mission dependent

Mars Mission Systems View

Solids Treatment

Residue

BiomassProduction

Food Consumption

LiquidWaste

Treatment

Liq

uid

Was

te

Re s

i du e

,C

O2,

Nu t

r ie n

t Wat

er

urine

Air Treatment

Cabin Air

NH4+

H2O

Paper

Production

Grey Water

=compost from solids digester

H2H2O

Food ProcessingSeparation

Potable H2O

Clean cabin air

Fibrous material

To Biomass Productionstruvite, H2O

soli

ds

N/P/Mg

concentrator coarse fine

Electrolysis

CH4

O2

CO2

EVA

CH4

Waste

Water Recovery

Biological and physicochemical systems for water recovery

Technology Needs

1. 100% recovery of influent water

2. Elimination of expendables

3. Improved monitoring and control

4. Reduced Equivalent Systems Mass

Air Revitalization

• Biological and physicochemical processes for maintaining cabin atmosphere

• Fire detection and suppression

Technology Needs

1. Improvements in monitoring and control

2. Efficient CO2 removal and O2 recovery

3. Reduced Equivalent Systems Mass

Researcher’s Advantages

• Improved understanding of NASA’s problems, current foci, and past successes and failures

• Collaboration with NASA scientists, industry, and faculty

• Funding