In-situ resource utilization activities at the NASA Space Engineering Research CenterThe paper describes theoretical and experimental research activities at the NASA Space Engineering Research Center aimed at realizing significant cost savings in space missions through the use of locally available resources. The fundamental strategy involves idea generation, scientific screening, feasibility demonstrations, small-scale process plant design, extensive testing, scale-up to realistic production rates, associated controls, and 'packaging', while maintaining sufficient flexibility to respond to national needs in terms of specific applications. Aside from training, the principal activities at the Center include development of a quantitative figure-of-merit to quickly assess the overall mission impact of individual components that constantly change with advancing technologies, extensive tests on a single-cell test bed to produce oxygen from carbon dioxide, and the use of this spent stream to produce methane.
Document ID
19920072994
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Ramohalli, Kumar (Arizona, University; NASA, Space Engineering Research Center Tucson, United States)