The Spacecraft Water Impurity Monitor, a Framework for the Next Generation Complete Water Analysis System for Crewed Vehicles Beyond the ISS

The Spacecraft Water Impurity Monitor (SWIM) is a joint collaboration to develop an
instrument platform that will perform in-flight measurements and deliver a more complete
picture of water quality to decision makers. Eventually, missions to the moon, Mars, and
beyond will be equipped with analytical capabilities equaling those found in terrestrial labs.
Based on what we know about current and future spacecraft environments, SWIM will seek
to provide enhanced analytical capability that enables NASA to confidently send astronauts
on distant missions without the possibility of returned water samples. This paper discusses the
challenges presented by exploration requirements and the research and development progress
toward the goal of a total water analysis system. For organic analysis, one of the analysis
technologies that the SWIM team have been developing is a liquid-injection gas
chromatograph mass spectrometer system; these systems are the workhorses of analytical
chemistry laboratories world-wide. For inorganic analysis, the team is exploring a number of
technologies ranging from traditional liquid chromatography technologies (e.g. ion
chromatography, capillary electrophoresis) to flight-heritage technology such as ion-specific
electrodes.