Environmental Monitoring Instruments: Using ISS as a Testbed for Exploration

NASA began the Advanced Environmental Monitoring and Control (AEMC) program in 1996. Its mission is to "provide future spacecraft with advanced, microminiaturized networks of integrated sensors to monitor environmental health and accurately determine and control the physical, chemical and biological environment of the crew living areas and their environmental control systems. In earlier years, AEMC focused on fundamental technology development, frequently performed by academia. Following the Vision for Space Exploration announcement in 2004, AEMC moved its focus to developing technologies for flight. Under a Memorandum of Agreement between the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate and the Space Operations Mission Directorate, AEMC is developing three instruments that will be tested on the International Space Station (ISS). Flight experience gained from utilization of the devices on-board ISS will help validate the technologies for Exploration class missions. These instruments are: a miniature gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer called VCAM (vehicle cabin atmosphere monitor) for trace contaminant monitoring; an atmospheric event monitor (electronic nose or ENose) to detect inadvertent release of specific chemicals; and a colorimetric solid phase extraction (CSPE) method for determination of biocides and other constituents in water systems. An additional instrument, the Lab-on-a-Chip Portable Test System (LOCAD PTS) has been launched to ISS, and will demonstrate sensitive microbial detection. This paper describes the status of development of each of these instruments.