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ISS ECLSS
The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS, ee-kliss) is a critical component of the International Space Station (ISS), responsible for maintaining a safe and habitable environment for crew members, similar to that of Earth, with an air pressure equivalent to sea level. Maintaining an Earth-like atmosphere enhances crew comfort and safety, and is significantly safer than a pure oxygen environment.
The various subsystems of the ISS ECLSS regulate atmospheric pressure, control temperature and humidity, remove carbon dioxide, manage oxygen and nitrogen levels, provide ventilation, treat sewage, and generate potable water.
The system was jointly designed and tested by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, UTC Aerospace Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Honeywell. In addition to its primary functions, the ECLSS serves as a proof of concept for future, more advanced life support systems intended for deep space missions.
The ISS has two water recovery systems. Zvezda contains a water recovery system that processes water vapor from the atmosphere that could be used for drinking in an emergency but is normally fed to the Elektron system to produce oxygen. The American segment has a Water Recovery System installed during STS-126 that can process water vapour collected from the atmosphere and urine into water that is intended for drinking. The Water Recovery System was installed initially in Destiny on a temporary basis in November 2008 and moved into Tranquility (Node 3) in February 2010.
The Water Recovery System consists of a Urine Processor Assembly and a Water Processor Assembly, housed in two of the three ECLSS racks.
The Urine Processor Assembly uses a low pressure vacuum distillation process that uses a centrifuge to compensate for the lack of gravity and thus aid in separating liquids and gasses. The Urine Processor Assembly is designed to handle a load of 9 kg/day, corresponding to the needs of a 6-person crew. Although the design called for the recovery of 85% of the water content, subsequent experience with calcium sulfate precipitation (in the free-fall conditions present on the ISS, calcium levels in urine are elevated due to bone density loss) has led to a revised operational level of recovering 70% of the water content.
Water from the Urine Processor Assembly and from waste water sources are combined to feed the Water Processor Assembly that filters out gasses and solid materials before passing through filter beds and then a high-temperature catalytic reactor assembly. The water is then tested by onboard sensors and unacceptable water is cycled back through the water processor assembly.
The Volatile Removal Assembly flew on STS-89 in January 1998 to demonstrate the Water Processor Assembly's catalytic reactor in microgravity. A Vapour Compression Distillation Flight Experiment flew, but was destroyed, in STS-107.
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ISS ECLSS
The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS, ee-kliss) is a critical component of the International Space Station (ISS), responsible for maintaining a safe and habitable environment for crew members, similar to that of Earth, with an air pressure equivalent to sea level. Maintaining an Earth-like atmosphere enhances crew comfort and safety, and is significantly safer than a pure oxygen environment.
The various subsystems of the ISS ECLSS regulate atmospheric pressure, control temperature and humidity, remove carbon dioxide, manage oxygen and nitrogen levels, provide ventilation, treat sewage, and generate potable water.
The system was jointly designed and tested by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, UTC Aerospace Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Honeywell. In addition to its primary functions, the ECLSS serves as a proof of concept for future, more advanced life support systems intended for deep space missions.
The ISS has two water recovery systems. Zvezda contains a water recovery system that processes water vapor from the atmosphere that could be used for drinking in an emergency but is normally fed to the Elektron system to produce oxygen. The American segment has a Water Recovery System installed during STS-126 that can process water vapour collected from the atmosphere and urine into water that is intended for drinking. The Water Recovery System was installed initially in Destiny on a temporary basis in November 2008 and moved into Tranquility (Node 3) in February 2010.
The Water Recovery System consists of a Urine Processor Assembly and a Water Processor Assembly, housed in two of the three ECLSS racks.
The Urine Processor Assembly uses a low pressure vacuum distillation process that uses a centrifuge to compensate for the lack of gravity and thus aid in separating liquids and gasses. The Urine Processor Assembly is designed to handle a load of 9 kg/day, corresponding to the needs of a 6-person crew. Although the design called for the recovery of 85% of the water content, subsequent experience with calcium sulfate precipitation (in the free-fall conditions present on the ISS, calcium levels in urine are elevated due to bone density loss) has led to a revised operational level of recovering 70% of the water content.
Water from the Urine Processor Assembly and from waste water sources are combined to feed the Water Processor Assembly that filters out gasses and solid materials before passing through filter beds and then a high-temperature catalytic reactor assembly. The water is then tested by onboard sensors and unacceptable water is cycled back through the water processor assembly.
The Volatile Removal Assembly flew on STS-89 in January 1998 to demonstrate the Water Processor Assembly's catalytic reactor in microgravity. A Vapour Compression Distillation Flight Experiment flew, but was destroyed, in STS-107.
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