Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Waste Management”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 379 records · Page 21

An evaluation of Skylab habitability hardware

For effective mission performance, participants in space missions lasting 30-60 days or longer must be provided with hardware to accommodate their personal needs. Such habitability hardware was provided on Skylab. Equipment defined as habitability hardware was that equipment composing the food system, water system, sleep system, waste management system, personal hygiene system, trash management system, and entertainment equipment. Equipment not specifically defined as habitability hardware but which served that function were the Wardroom window, the exercise equipment, and the intercom system, which was occasionally used for private communications. All Skylab habitability hardware generally functioned as intended for the three missions, and most items could be considered as adequate concepts for future flights of similar duration. Specific components were criticized for their shortcomings.

Stokes, J.↗

The southern regional conference on technology assessment: Summary

The proceedings of a conference on technology assessment are presented. A survey of recent Federal activity in technology assessment was discussed initially. Emphasis was placed on state and local activities with respect to technology assessment to include the following subjects: (1) the technology assessment desired by states, (2) organization of technology assessment activities, (3) how to perform technology assessments for less than $5,000, and (4) the preparation of environmental impact statements. Specific application of technology assessment to solid waste management in Connecticut is reported.

Coates, V. T.↗

Medical results of the Skylab program

The Skylab food system, waste management system, operational bioinstrumentation, personal hygiene provisions, in-flight medical support system, and the cardiovascular counterpressure garment worn during reentry are described. The medical experiments program provided scientific data and also served as the basis for real-time decisions on flight duration. Premission support, in-flight operational support, and postflight medical activities are surveyed. Measures devised to deal with possible food spoilage, medical instrument damage, and toxic atmosphere caused by the initial failures on the Orbital Workshop (OWS) are discussed. The major medical experiments performed in flight allowed the study of physiological changes as a function of exposure to weightless flight. The experiments included studies of the cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal and fluid/electrolyte balance, sleep, blood, vestibular system, and time and motion studies.

Johnston, R. S.↗

The medical story

The paper discusses the medical program of the Skylab missions. The major medical systems discussed include the food system, the waste-management system, the personal-hygiene system, and the inflight medical support system. The life-sciences experiments conducted on Skylab are reviewed. These dealt with the cardiovascular system, mineral balance and bioassay of fluids, sleep, blood, metabolic activity, vestibular function, and time and motion studies. The medical operations were accomplished with only minor problems.

Johnston, R. S.↗

Development of Skylab medical equipment and flight preparations

The major medical systems in the Skylab orbital workshop are described. They comprise the food system, the waste management system, operational bioinstrumentation, personal hygiene, gas sampling, an inflight medical support system, and a cardiovascular counterpressure garment. Life sciences experiments carried out aboard Skylab are also reviewed; these include an ergometer and metabolic analyzer, a lower-body negative pressure device, an electrode harness and body temperature probe, a blood pressure cuff, a leg volume measuring band, sleep studies, a body-mass measuring device, a rotating litter chair, a blood sample processor, and small-mass measuring apparatus. All performance requirements were met with the equipment, and no failures were encountered.

Johnston, R. S.↗

Evaluation of conventional power systems

The technical, economic, and environmental characteristics of (thermal, nonsolar) electric power plants are reviewed. The fuel cycle, from extraction of new fuel to final waste management, is included. Emphasis is placed on the fossil fuel and nuclear technologies.

Smith, K. R.↗

Biomedical Experiments Scientific Satellite /BESS/

The Biomedical Experiments Scientific Satellite (BESS) program is proposed to provide a long-duration, earth-orbiting facility to expose selected specimens in a series of biomedical experiments through the 1980's. Launched and retrieved by the Space Transportation System, the fully reusable, free-flying BESS will contain all systems necessary to conduct a six-month to one-year spaceflight mission. The spacecraft system will consist of a large pressurized experiment module and a standard NASA service module currently conceived as the Goddard Multi-Mission Spacecraft (MMS). The experiment module will contain the life-support systems, waste management system, specimen-holding facilities, and monitoring, evaluating, and data-handling equipment. Although a variety of specimens will be flown in basic biological and medical studies, the primate was taken as the principal design driver since it has a maximal life-support demand.

Berry, W. E.↗

Challenges to life support system's future

The development and future requirements of life support systems are considered, and the choice of equipment for long-duration missions is examined. The need for programmatic flexibility, capability growth, and integration of life support systems is discussed. Water supply, CO2 control, oxygen supply, trace contaminant control, and waste management are surveyed, and evolution forecast is presented.

Smith, W. L.↗

Considerations associated with the introduction of female crewmembers in spacecraft and space stations

This paper examines considerations of inclusion of female crewmembers in spacecraft and space stations. The anthropometric and physiological differences between males and females as related to spaceflight such as body dimensions, muscle strength characteristics, body posture, reach, and physiological differences are discussed. Crew provisions including inflight garments, hair style, cosmetics, personal hygiene, waste management, and personal privacy are described. Impacts on hardware design and crew performance, examples of effects on Orbiter systems, data on females and their performance under conditions analogous to spaceflight, and earth-based simulation experience are examined. It is concluded that no major problems have been found which would preclude females from space, and in the future the novelty of mixed crews will significantly decrease.

Brown, J. W.↗

The development of a Space Shuttle Research Animal Holding Facility

The ability to maintain the well being of experiment animals is of primary importance to the successful attainment of life sciences flight experiment goals. To assist scientists in the conduct of life sciences flight experiments, a highly versatile Research Animal Holding Facility (RAHF) is being developed for use on Space Shuttle/Spacelab missions. This paper describes the design of the RAHF system, which in addition to providing general housing for various animal species, approximating the environment found in ground based facilities, is designed to minimize disturbances of the specimens by vehicle and mission operations. Life-sustaining capabilities such as metabolic support and environmental control are provided. RAHF is reusable and is a modular concept to accommodate animals of different sizes. The basic RAHF system will accommodate a combination of 24 500-g rats or 144 mice or a mixed number of rats and mice. An alternative design accommodates four squirrel monkeys. The entire RAHF system is housed in a single ESA rack. The animal cages are in drawers which are removable for easy access to the animals. Each cage contains a waste management system, a feeding system and a watering system all of which will operate in zero or one gravity.

Jagow, R. B.↗

A near-term mission for CELSS

A study has been conducted on the mission types that may benefit from Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) technology, with emphasis on manned missions projected by NASA for the next 50 years and cost evaluations in which transportation system characteristics are factored. The CELSS analyses considered water, air revitalization, waste management, and food production. The six mission locations considered included four in the earth-moon system, together with asteroid belt and Mars surface missions. In the various locations, the radiation, solar flux and available materials scenario can be very different. It is concluded on the basis of these considerations that the short duration Mars sortie mission analyzed will not benefit from CELLS technology, while large manned bases beyond the earth-moon system will not only benefit, but positively require it.

Gustan, E. A.↗

Extended mission life support systems

The life support systems employed in manned space missions have generally been based on the use of expendables, such as, for instance, liquid oxygen. For the conducted space missions, such systems have advantages related to volume, weight, and economy of power consumption. However, this situation will change in connection with Shuttle Orbiter missions of extended duration, permanent manned facilities in low-earth orbit, and ultimately manned planetary vehicles. A description is given of suitable regenerative life support systems for such extended manned space missions. Attention is given to advanced life support systems technology, air revitalization, CO2 reduction, oxygen generation, nitrogen generation, trace contaminant control, air revitalization system integration, control/monitor instrumentation, water reclamation, solid waste management, manned testing and life support integration, an enhanced duration orbiter, a space operations center, manned interplanetary life support systems, and future development requirements.

Quattrone, P. D.↗

Space shuttle revitalization system

The Space Shuttle air revitalization system is discussed. The sequential steps in loop closure are examined and a schematic outline of the regenerative air revitalization system is presented. Carbon dioxide reduction subsystem concepts are compared. Schemes are drawn for: static feedwater electrolysis cell, solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis cell, air revitalization system, nitrogen generation reactions, nitrogen subsystem staging, vapor compression distillation subsystem, thermoelectric integrated membrane evaporation subsystem, catalytic distillation water reclamation subsystem, and space shuttle solid waste management system.

Quattrone, P. D.↗

Publications of the NASA CELSS (Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems) program

Publications on research sponsored by the NASA CELSS (controlled ecological life support systems) Program are listed. The bibliography is divided into four areas: (1) human requirements; (2) food production; (3) waste management; and (4) system management and control. The 210 references cover the period from the inception of the CELSS Program (1979) to the present, as well as some earlier publications during the development of the CELSS Program.

Dufour, P. A.↗

The development status of candidate life support technology for a space station

The establishment of a permanently-manned Space Station has recently been selected as the next major step in the U.S. space program. The requirements of a manned operations base in space appear to be best satisfied by on-board Environmental Control/Life Support Systems (ECLSS) which are free from, or have minimum dependence on, use of expendables and the frequent earth resupply missions which are part of systems using expendables. The present investigation is concerned with the range of regenerative life support system options which NASA is developing to be available for the Space Station designer. An air revitalization system is discussed, taking into account devices concerned with the carbon dioxide concentration, approaches of CO2 reduction, oxygen generation, trace contaminant control, and atmospheric quality monitoring. Attention is also given to an independent air revitalization system, nitrogen generation, a water reclamation system, a waste management system, applications of the technology, and future development requirements.

Samonski, F. H., Jr.↗

Plan for CELSS test bed project

The Closed Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) testbed project will achieve two major goals: It will develop the knowledge and technology needed to build and test biological or combined biological physiochemical regenerative life support systems. It will fabricate, test, and operate ground based facilities to accomplish proof-of-concent testing and evaluation leading to flight experimentation. The project will combine basic research and applied research/engineering to achieve a phased, integrated development of hardware, systems, and techniques for food and oxygen production, food processing, and waste processing in closed systems. The project will design, fabricate, and operate within three years a botanical production system scaled to a sufficient size to verify oxygen and nutrient load production (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) at a useable level. It will develop within five years a waste management system compatible with the botanical production system and a food processing system that converts available biomass into edible products. It will design, construct, and operate within ten years a ground based candidate CELSS that includes man as an active participant in the system. It will design a flight CELSS module within twelve years and construct and conduct initial flight tests within fifteen years.

Knott, W. M.↗