Advancing Commercial Space

NASA has created a unique approach to water, solids, and atmosphere recycle and reuse. The membrane water wall concept includes a system for membrane-based water, solids, and air treatment functions that is embedded into the walls of inflatable or rigid habitat structures. It provides novel and potentially game changing mass reuse and structural advantages over current mechanical life support hardware. It also provides radiation protection, building materials and structural elements. This approach potentially reduces the cost of human space flight by replacing the mass, power, and volume of conventional life support hardware. It removes air, water, and waste treatment hardware from the usable habitat volume. Also, it provides structural elements to strengthen the habitat shell, provide thermal control, and provide radiation shielding.

Scientists at NASA Ames have developed a method and system that offers a novel way of processing and recycling of liquids to remove contaminants. Space exploration requires a life-support system that sustains astronauts on journeys lasting from a few days to several weeks or longer. The life-support system must be designed to reduce the mass required to keep humans alive in space. Water accounts for about 80 percent of a humans daily mass intake. As a result, recycling water, including urine, offers a high return on investment for space exploration missions as well as increasing mission safety. It provides an emergency supply of drinking water, when other sources are exhausted or contaminated.

Space travel is becoming increasingly accessible in recent years with the advancement of private space programs as well as NASA space programs such as the Mars Exploration Program. For both space tourism and space exploration, there is an interest in generating artificial gravity in space for entertainment, recreational, and scientific purposes, as well as to counter the health concerns of extended exposure to a microgravity environment. Conventional systems for generating artificial gravity in space involve large rotating space stations that create an inertial force that mimics the effects of a gravitational force. In such examples, the entire space station rotates to generate the artificial gravity that creates several critical engineering and safety issues. NASA Ames Research Center has developed a novel technology that can help provide solutions to these and other problems by a system and approach for creating artificial gravity using a non-rotating spacecraft with connected moving modules, which can be used for habitation and other purposes.

Innovators at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed advanced hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas sensors capable of detecting leaks, monitoring emissions, and providing in situ measurements of gas composition and pressure. These compact, rugged sensors can be used to optimize combustion and lower emissions and are designed to withstand harsh, high temperature environments. Some of the sensors, based on silicon carbide, can operate at 600°C. NASA Glenn is actively seeking industrial partners to develop and apply these cutting-edge sensors cooperatively in new applications.

Innovators at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed the Multi-Parameter Aerosol Scattering Sensor (MPASS), an aerosol-detection system that characterizes atmospheric particles, enabling real-time environmental monitoring often critical for public safety. This optical sensor is superior to the present state-of-the-art in its ability to characterize virtually any particle, as small as nanometer-scale, without the need for calibration against a known aerosol. The universal sensor has the unique ability to measure total particle surface area and mass as well as particle count within the same system. Not only can the MPASS function as an independent portable sensor to quantify inaccessible conditions such as volcanic activity and wildfires through remote monitoring, it can also function as part of a sensor network within a factory or other facility for air quality and fire detection. Lightweight and compact, the unit is ideal for surveillance missions when integrated onto a drone or other unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or as a personal health monitoring device for first responders and public safety professionals.

Innovators at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed a unique multi-stage filtration system to collect a wide range of particle sizes with minimal filter changes. This breakthrough capability keeps high-efficiency media and devices from becoming overloaded with larger particles. Glenn's system uses an impactor filter to capture larger particle matter through inertial separation and impaction methods on collection surfaces. After becoming heavily loaded, this filter can be cleaned automatically through a unique feed system, thereby reducing maintenance costs. In this way, the device provides a pre-filter stage that protects the more critical stages of the filter system, thereby extending the life of high-efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA) filter systems that are designed to capture fine and ultrafine particles. In an effort to reduce maintenance even further, the fine-particle filter media is provided in a scroll mechanism that is advanced to successive clean sections as needed. Highly sensitive filtration systems can be challenging to maintain and protect, so Glenn's system, which provides time and power savings offers great potential for commercial development.

On the International Space Station (ISS), the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) serves as a waste recovery system, air revitalization system, and oxygen generation system. Recently, Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) technology, a supporting technology for CO2 chemical reduction that could enable the recovery of over 86% of the oxygen from CO2 produced on the ISS, has been under development at NASA. One of the main issues with plasma pyrolysis is that it generates effluent containing fine (100-200 nm) particles that could foul the PPA reactor and downstream ECLSS systems. To address this challenge, NASA has developed a new Carbon Capture Filter system that uses a variety of mechanisms to trap and remove solid carbon dust. This NASA invention may provide value for a variety of terrestrial applications requiring continuous or batch removal of solid carbon emissions of pyrolyzed hydrocarbons, or high-capacity removal of inert fine dust. The filter system can be scaled up or down in size to accommodate different applications, and could also be applied for consumer products including portable vacuum cleaners and filter systems.

Innovators at the NASA Glenn Research Center, in conjunction with Case Western Reserve University, have designed the Supercritical Water Oxidation - Flame Piloted Vortex (SCWO-FPV) Reactor. The SCWO-FPV Reactor operates at temperatures and pressures above the thermodynamic critical point of water, enabling organic material to become highly soluble, effectively oxidizing all carbonaceous waste in liquid material introduced into the reactor. NASA's new technology addresses problems that have long plagued SCWO-based systems by implementing an innovative design to limit temperatures on the reactor walls, which minimizes the typical issues of scaling, corrosion, and fouling of heat transfer surfaces. While the SCWO-FPV Reactor is being considered for space exploration missions, it has great potential for a variety of terrestrial applications across many industries, especially for water reclamation, water treatment, and waste destruction in liquid waste streams.

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a method using low-viscosity RTV silicone to form durable seals between polymer bladder and metal bulkhead interfaces to be used for inflatable space habitats. As NASA continues to research the viability of inflatable space habitats made with flexible materials, much consideration is given to reliably maintain pressurized environments for astronauts through the use of advanced seals. In early inflatable test articles, seals between bladder and bulkhead interfaces were achieved using a combination of O-rings and gaskets alone. However, when planning for long duration missions, there was a concern that the compressive force of an O-ring could create a line load on the bladder and cause potential failure of the bladder material and overall seal. An RTV silicone sealing method was developed as a solution to this problem, and works with an arrangement of O-rings and gaskets that act as a dam to form a channel that maintains the placement of the RTV silicone. The RTV silicone sealing method may have commercial applications here on Earth as it can yield a cure-in-place seal that can form-fits to a complex channel. This sealing method has a technology readiness level (TRL) 5 (Component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment) and is now available for patent licensing. Please note that NASA does not manufacture products itself for commercial sale.

Innovators at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), in collaboration with Jacobs Technology, and IRPI, have developed a reliable, efficient, and cost-effective carbon dioxide (CO2) removal and dehumidification system. The new system is designed for ventilation applications and utilizes a gentle, passive, and direct air/liquid contactor. The contactor is composed of a bifurcating manifold with 3D printed corrugated walls, that contain capillary channels onto which thin films of liquid sorbent are deployed. The liquid is held in place by surface tension and capillary forces. As the liquid is exposed to the air, it absorbs carbon dioxide and humidity from the environment. NASA's new CO2 removal system has significant advantages over current CO2 scrubbers. For example, the new system eliminates the need for large blowers and compressors that force air at high velocities through adsorption-based systems using solid sorbents.

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center in collaboration with IRPI, LLC, have developed a compact inline filter that utilizes a unique multi-phase flow method to separate liquid from an incoming air charge. The filter also traps particulate matter and does so without significantly impinging upon flow velocity. Unique to the filter is a multitude of helical (corkscrew-shaped) open flow channels that are impregnated into the filter element. Due to the constant curvature of the channels, the liquid and particulates from the incoming air charge are inertially dispersed onto the channel walls using centrifugal force. Wicking material holds the liquid in place, while stepped contours within the channels also help trap particulates. Development of the filter was performed to provide the Orion Spacecraft with a method to absorb liquid water and particulates from the cabin atmosphere after a fire event and discharge of a water-based fire extinguisher. However, applications here on Earth have commercial viability for this high-flow phase separation technology. These applications may include vehicle or laboratory fire safety systems, petrochemical refining, water filtration, municipal solid waste derivatives, and wet/dry vacuum systems.

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a pre-treatment solution, currently being used aboard the International Space Station (ISS), that increases the amount of potable water recovered through the ISS's urine processor assembly (UPA). The solution acts to stabilize flushed urine chemically for immediate storage and later distillation in the UPA and increases water recovery without precipitation of minerals that clog urine-processing hardware. Implemented by NASA aboard the ISS since 2016, the solution has increased the water recovery rate in the ISS’s UPA from the prior 75% level to a steady 87%, which doubled the volume of feed processed per cycle, reduced the volume of waste brine by half, and eliminated the formation of precipitates. The benefits extend to other steps in the urine treatment process. Less precipitate reduces the frequency of filter changes in the UPA and thus the number of filters used per gallon during the distillation stage. Furthermore, this pretreatment solution can prevent bacterial and fungal growth during storage of urine. This technology is at a technology readiness level (TRL) 9 (flight proven through successful mission operations), and the innovation is now available for your company to license. Please note that NASA does not manufacture products itself for commercial sale.

Innovators at the NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a microwave based system that eradicates bacteria. The technology can be used to treat water systems to generate potable water. The technology was originally developed to address the water purification needs and challenges on the International Space Station (ISS). Current water purification methods onboard the ISS use hazardous chemicals and require consumable products to be transported from Earth to the ISS. This NASA Technology is available for your company to license and develop into a commercial product. NASA does not manufacture products for commercial sale.

Seizing upon the success of the Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) operating aboard the ISS, innovators working for NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) have revamped a potable water monitoring technology for long-duration crewed space missions into a smaller, lighter package called “MiniTOCA”. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) concentration can indicate the presence of organic compounds in a water sample such as that from decaying plants and bacteria along with hazardous chemicals. Currently, commercial TOC analyzers fail to meet the requirements set for deep space exploration typically due to gravity dependence, hazardous acid needed for inorganic carbon determination, and hazardous chemical or combustion reactor usage needed for oxidation. Ideally, exploration spacecraft instrumentation, including water monitoring technology, would not need resupply chemicals, would possess a low mass/volume archi-tecture, and would enable reliable online sensors to furnish real-time water quality data. The MiniTOCA reflects success in achieving these goals along with providing additional tunability to fit specific mission requirements including mass, volume, crew time, and resupply needs. The MiniTOCA is at a technology readiness level (TRL) 7 (System prototype demon-stration in an operational environment) and is now available for patent licensing. Please note that NASA does not manufacture products itself for commercial sale.

Reliable seed germination and plant production requires an environment that is neither too dry nor too wet. PONDS was developed to improve water and nutrient delivery for plants grown on the International Space Station (ISS). The technology uses an innovative wicking material to passively link a water/nutrient reservoir to a growth cylinder where seeds are germinated and plants are produced. PONDS addresses limitations with existing ISS plant-production technology by providing consistent delivery of water/nutrients, improving oxygen transfer to plants, and allowing users to determine how much water is being applied.

A primary challenge to growing plants in microgravity is the delivery of adequate air, water and nutrients to a plant's roots. Microgravity alters convection and thus the behavior of root zone aeration which plants are evolutionarily reliant upon to grow. Current nutrient delivery techniques proposed for space involve the use of a medium for the roots to penetrate, such as arcilite, and power or frequent astronaut intervention is typically required to actively pump water to the roots. When water is actively pumped to the roots, the user must carefully calibrate the amount of water and nutrients being pumped in order to prevent over- or under watering that could inhibit plant growth. The current watering technique on the International Space Station using the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) frequently requires astronauts to manually pump water into the pillows with a syringe to sustain the plants.

NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) seeks to license its Water Remediation Treatment System to industry. The system utilizes an affordable media that is highly selective for ammonia, allowing large concentrations of ammonia in wastewater to be reduced to levels less than 1 ppm. Following treatment, the media is regenerated for reuse in the system and ammonia is captured as a by-product. Removing nitrogen pollutants, like ammonia, is a critical environmental issue. Nitrogen pollution is causing serious changes to aquatic ecosystems; the primary cause of which is insufficient municipal water filtration processes allowing nitrogen to seep into groundwater. NASA’s Ammonia Recover System could be utilized in a multitude of ways to remove nitrogen from various wastewater sources. The technology could be incorporated into water treatment systems at various stages; water treatment, effluent polishing, resource reclamation, resource recycling, grey water treatment, etc.

Current space missions face significant challenges in managing waste and recycling resources, especially in closed environments like the International Space Station (ISS). Traditional Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) rely heavily on physical and chemical processes, which demand constant consumable inputs and generate hazardous byproducts. These systems often struggle to efficiently treat and recover valuable resources from waste streams, such as urine and graywater, posing sustainability issues for long-duration space missions and future exploration. Our technology, the Suspended Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor (SAMBR), offers an innovative bioregenerative solution for waste treatment. This system leverages advanced biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes, carbonation, and membrane filtration to effectively treat urine and recover key resources with minimal consumable inputs. By scaling down industrial-scale biological treatment processes for space applications, SAMBR achieves high treatment efficiency within a compact footprint, making it ideal for space missions. This approach not only improves sustainability in space but also has potential applications on Earth, contributing to more efficient and eco-friendly waste management systems.

Current water recovery and purification systems aboard the International Space Station are open loop (requiring external inputs) and inefficient. Additionally, organic wastes (i.e., fecal and food wastes) are currently not recycled, thus adding additional waste processing and hazardous conditions for astronauts. This is not a viable approach for long duration space habitats and missions. The Modular System for Waste Treatment, Water Recycling, and Resource Recovery technology addresses these problems using a completely closed-loop system of modular subsystems that combine to treat and recycle wastewater streams and organic food waste to produce clean water, gases that can be used for fuel, and fertilizer constituents that can be utilized for plant growth.

Innovators at the NASA Kennedy Space Center have developed a new optical sensor for measuring concentration in a liquid solution. The sensor was designed for measuring the pretreat solution concentration within the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), a specialized toilet designed for the International Space Station (ISS) and other future missions. The sensor was developed to replace the current pretreat concentration sensor within the UWMS that uses electrical conductivity instead of light-based methods. Using established methodologies and commercial components, the new sensor can precisely measure the concentration or pretreat within the waste treatment solution using the light passed through and scattered by the solution. The optical sensor can be adapted to measure the concentration of solutions across various industries.

NASA has developed a lightweight atmosphere revitalization system to support short-duration human space flights. Air revitalization is a critical component of manned space flights since passenger-carrying vehicles require a way to control humidity and process metabolic carbon dioxide to sustain an environment that can support human life. For long-duration flights, metabolic water from respiration and evaporated sweat are typically treated and reclaimed, requiring extra equipment such as gas/liquid separators and condensing heat exchangers. To minimize equipment and reduce excess loads, NASA developed an adsorption-based carbon dioxide scrubber and water removal system for disposal in vacuum environments, ultimately reducing mass, power, and volume requirements. The lightweight, low-mass system is also regenerable, flexible, and can be arranged into different spatial configurations.

Innovators at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have developed a Debris-Tolerant Valve designed for use in machines/environments with a large quantity of airborne dust or other contaminants. The invention was created for an atmospheric revitalization system on the International Space Station. On the ISS, the use of dried pelletized media in the system caused a problem with the collection of contaminants in the existing selector valve, requiring persistent valve maintenance and replacement. NASA's Debris-Tolerant Valve was offered as a solution and is currently being developed for use in future NASA missions. The new valve implements a novel design that has been extensively tested and offers substantial benefits including extended lifetime of internal valve parts, ease of maintenance, and low-cost manufacturability. Applications for the Debris-Tolerant Valve include use in aerospace or industrial processes.