NASA’s Glen to test the moon’s air quality monitor at the space station

As NASA prepares to return to the moon, researching astronauts’ health and safety is a top priority. Scientists monitor and analyze every part of the daily life of the International Space Station crew. These studies help NASA prepare for the long-term human quest for the moon.

As part of this effort, NASA’s Glen Research Center in Cleveland is sending three air quality monitors to the space station to test potential future use. The monitor is scheduled to be released on Monday, April 21st, aboard NASA’s 32nd SpaceX Commercial Supply Services Mission.

Like our homes on Earth here, space stations get dusty from personal care products like skin flakes, clothing fibers and deodorizers. Because the station operates with microgravity, the particles do not have the opportunity to settle down and instead continue to float in the air. Orbiting filters collect these particles to ensure that the air is safe and breathable.

Astronauts face different air quality risks when they work and live on the moon.

“We know from Apollo that inhaling your lungs can cause irritation,” says Claire Fortenberry, the lead researcher at NASA Glen’s Exploration Aerosol Monitor Project. “There are weathers on Earth where dust particles naturally smooth out, but the moon has no atmosphere. Therefore, the moon’s dust particles are sharper and rougher than the earth’s dust. Moon dust can affect the health of its crew and can damage the hardware.”

Future space stations and lunar habitats require monitors that can measure lunar dust to ensure that the air filtration system is functioning properly. Fortenberry and her team chose commercial monitors for flight and ground demonstrations to assess performance in a spacecraft environment, with the aim of providing dust monitors for future exploration systems.

Glenn has been sending three commercial monitors to the space station to test onboard air quality for seven months. All three monitors are small. It’s not bigger than a shoe box. Each measures specific properties that provide a snapshot of air quality on the station. Researchers analyze monitors based on their ability to accurately measure and identify small concentrations of particles in the air.

The research team receives data from the space station every two weeks. These monitors orbit the Earth, but Fortenberry has three matching monitors on Glen. Engineers compare the functionality and results of monitors used in space with those on the ground to ensure that they are working as expected with microgravity. Additional ground tests include dust analogues and smoke.

Air quality monitors like NASA is testing also have globe-based applications. Monitors are used to investigate smoke plumes from wildfires, haze from urban pollution, indoor pollution from activities such as cooking and cleaning, and how droplets containing viruses spread within the enclosed space.

The results of the investigation will help NASA assess which monitors can accompany the astronauts to the moon and ultimately to Mars. NASA allows manufacturers to see results and ensure that their monitors function as efficiently and effectively as possible. By testing on a space station, businesses can investigate pollution issues here and pave the way for future missions to Red Planet.

“When you go to the moon, you’re given the opportunity to monitor the dust and lunar environment of the planet,” says Fortenberry. “We can then apply what we learn from lunar exploration to predict how humans can safely explore Mars.”

NASA’s commercial supply mission to the International Space Station provides scientific research in the fields of biology and biotechnology, Earth and Space Science, physical science, technological development and demonstration. Cargo replenishment from US companies guarantees national capabilities to provide scientific research to space stations and significantly improves NASA’s ability to conduct new research in space labs.