Performance of Off-the-Shelf Technologies for Spacecraft Cabin Atmospheric Major Constituent Monitoring

Monitoring the atmospheric composition of a crewed spacecraft cabin is central to successfully expanding the breadth and depth of first-hand human knowledge and understanding of space. Highly reliable technologies must be identified and developed to monitor atmospheric composition. This will enable crewed space missions that last weeks, months, and eventually years. Atmospheric composition monitoring is a primary component of any environmental control and life support system. Instrumentation employed to monitor atmospheric composition must be inexpensive, simple, and lightweight and provide robust performance. Such a system will ensure an environment that promotes human safety and health, and that the environment can be maintained with a high degree of confidence. Key to this confidence is the capability for any technology to operate autonomously, with little intervention from the crew or mission control personnel. A study has been conducted using technologies that, with further development, may reach these goals.