Applications of M.O.X.I.E. and Next Generation Spacesuits in Deep-Space Travel
(Image credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA), https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3MqwCiG49rTh5RJxMQYLrH-650-80.jpg, https://ingallsimages.com/
By Hridhay Suresh — Laney College — Oakland, CA.
(Option 2)
Habitat System 1
Compared to the grandiose immensity of space, humans are extremely delicate. To be able to survive in deep space, we need the adaptations of many critical amenities. These amenities include breathable oxygen, water to drink and utilize, shielding from the harsh radiation of the space, and the processing of waste matter. It is paramount that we heavily invest in the life support habitat systems when we reach for the stars so that our astronauts are safe and healthy on their journeys. When we travel in space it is absolutely imperative that we put our best, healthiest foot forward — and one way to do this is to give our space travelers the best in terms of the life support habitat systems.
As an earth-faring species, we have evolved our lungs to breathe oxygen in order to fulfill a host of biological needs. We have delicate processes that exist on the borderline between the duality of carbon-dioxide and oxygen, inside our bodies and in our surrounding environment. When this balance is corrupted, say in space, or on another planet, we need a countermeasure to make our environment liveable. When oxygen is scarce in space we need to either store it on our spacecraft or make new oxygen as we travel into deep space. Air revitalization is the most important component of the Life Support habitat system. The two major activities in the air revitalization component are cleaning the air in the cabin of extraneous glasses and replenishing the air to appropriate oxygen levels. The air revitalization method I would like to focus on in this project is “MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment), a toaster-oven sized device that aims to produce novel oxygen from carbon-dioxide sources using a process called Solid Oxide Electrolysis,” (NASA). MOXIE is a current component on the Mars 2020 rover that NASA hopes to launch this summer with the goal of producing oxygen on Mars.
Company Research 1
MOXIE and the process MOXIE uses (solid Oxide Electrolysis) were created by a joint venture of many companies and educational entities: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cermamtec, and Plansee. In my research, I chose to highlight NASA’s contribution to the project as they were the main agency in creating this device and its functionality.
NASA is often regarded as the premier space agency. As far as expertise goes, NASA is the most experienced in putting men and women into space and keeping them safe and healthy there. At the moment, NASA has countless research projects and initiatives on the International Space Station that aim to monitor and find ways to improve the life support systems of astronauts in a microgravity environment. NASA is on the cutting-edge of space flight technology and aims to send manned missions to the Moon and Mars within the next decade. To accomplish their goal, NASA must bridge gaps in the Life Support Habitat System to ensure that astronauts stay healthy on their missions to deep space. NASA’s focus on space exploration and the need for innovation in the Life Support sector are perfectly collinear. NASA’s foci line up perfectly with the development of Life support habitat systems and air revitalization technologies such as MOXIE to support manned missions in the future.
NASA has a system related to MOXIE that is currently running on the International Space Station. “This is a precursor to the MOXIE system that generates oxygen from water instead of carbon dioxide,” (Barry). Through prior projects such as this one, NASA has established experience in the air revitalization space and in life support technologies and will continue to be a leader in this field.
Next Phase of Component 1
Once results are back from the performance of MOXIE on the Mars 2020 rover, scientists will get to work to scale up MOXIE to a much bigger size. “MOXIE is around a 1% scale model of the estimated finished product and has 0.05% of the final productive output in terms of oxygen,” (Orwig). Building a bigger version of MOXIE will not only support astronaut missions with breathable oxygen but will supply liquid oxygen propellant for travel on the surface of Mars.
Once positive results are back from the Mars 2020 rover, scientists will then begin to build a scaled-up version of MOXIE that can either be attached to manned spacecraft or can be sent to a final destination in advance. This way breathable oxygen can be created en route or be available at the destination of choice. An advance in air revitalization technology can lessen the total weight of a spacecraft and in turn, save fuel costs and energy.
In terms of the overall habitat system, MOXIE will de-complexify the process of air revitalization. “Current air revitalization systems depend on a steady supply of water and require a backup of oxygen tanks,” (Barry). MOXIE-type air revitalization systems only require carbon dioxide (which astronauts breathe out and are readily available on Mars) to function. In the long-term MOXIE will replace the current type of oxygen production (h20 electrolysis) or serve as a dependable back up, replacing the need to carry backup oxygen into space. MOXIE will increase the overall efficiency of air-revitalization so that less input is needed and the output factors are more easily managed. At the same time, less propellant will need to be taken up to space, and more space activity will occur based on reduced costs and energy for the usage of MOXIE.
Bridging the Gap 1
As mentioned before MOXIE is just one of the many experiments onboard the Mars 2020 rover that is set to launch later this summer (2020). Once the rover has reached Mars, MOXIE will produce a small amount of oxygen from the abundant supply of carbon dioxide on the surface of Mars. In this process, MOXIE will use its many scientific tools to test the purity and productive efficiency of this process. The data from MOXIE’s scientific tools will then be sent to NASA to evaluate MOXIE’s performance and isolate areas of improvement. Based on this data, NASA and its many partners will decide how to scale up the model (MOXIE) into a bigger device. “ The directors of this project hope to send up a bigger version of MOXIE in the 2030s that produces 100 times the amount of oxygen MOXIE will in 2021,” (Orwig). If all goes well with the next iteration of MOXIE technology, we should expect to see MOXIE technology on every manned space expedition and every final space destination (the Moon and Mars). At this point in time, the immediate next step would be to be patient and observe how MOXIE performs on the Martian Surface. While we wait for our performance data NASA will have to work on problems with scaling MOXIE. One of the problems we face is the high temperatures in which MOXIE operates. “ A shoebox-sized MOXIE operates at 800 degrees celsius,”(NASA). It is not hard to imagine that a bigger MOXIE will R. Lannom/NASA/JPL-Caltech
generate more heat. This exogenous heat will have to be mitigated to prevent damage to other instruments or astronauts. Another area of improvement is MOXIE’s weight. “A scaled-up MOXIE will weigh close to 4000 pounds,”(NASA). If weight is an issue, we may need to find ways to optimize MOXIE’s design for liftoff. If we find ways to mitigate these issues, the future looks bright for the next iterations and implementation of MOXIE.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/making-oxygen-moxie
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. https://oxeonenergy.com/moxie
Habitat System 2
The astronaut spacesuit has become a staple of pop culture fandom, and it is not hard to see why. The bulky and out-of-this-world design is an allusion to space and advances in the technology of the 20th century. Besides being a fashion icon, the spacesuit serves a greater function as the barrier between astronauts and the dangers of space. The spacesuit component of the Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Habitat System is a vital element that protects astronauts from radiation and space debris while pressurizing the inside of the suit to earth-like conditions. Having an updated, cutting-edge space suit is integral in deep-space travel so that astronauts can set foot on other planets and into space without having to face the harsh environmental effects of these habitats. The spacesuit has high-tech capabilities that monitor and collect biometric data on the health and performance of the astronauts. Outside of Earth, space and other planets do not have atmospheric pressures and oxygen levels that are conducive to human survival. The spacesuit accounts for this deficit and supplies a pressurized environment and oxygen levels that are similar to earth. Another reason why this habitat system is so relevant to deep space travel is to protect astronauts from the radiation of outer space. Earth’s magnetosphere protects us from radiation, but astronauts outside of the Earth’s atmosphere are not afforded this luxury. Astronauts depend on their spacesuits to guard them against space radiation.
The purpose of the spacesuit in the EVA habitat system is to provide a way astronauts can function outside of their respective space shuttle, space station, or surface lander. Through the spacesuit, astronauts can make critical repairs to their vehicle of transport, test the surface of other planets/moons, and collect samples for science experiments. The spacesuit suffices as the astronaut’s first and last line of defense against any exogenous insults.
Company Research 2
Recently, a company named ILC Dover in a partnership with Collins Aerospace has released a new generation of airspace for the Artemis generation of space flight. ILC Dover’s new spacesuit models, Astro and Sol, aim to assist astronauts in NASA’s newest scurries to the Moon, to Mars, and beyond. “These new suits have added customizability, mobility, and decreased storage capabilities that previous generations of EVA spacesuits did not,” (Messier). This is not ILC Dover’s first venture into making spacesuits for NASA missions. “ILC Dover was the maker of the original spacesuits worn by the first astronauts on the moon,” (Messier).
ILC Dover’s vision is to “improve efficiency, safeguard works and product, and prevent disasters — proof that we are on the front line of business excellence,” (ILC Dover). These ideals have translated to ILC Dover’s creation of sustainable EVA spacesuits that provide astronauts the protections they need to work in space. ILC Dover’s mission statement aligns with its focus to contribute cutting-edge, up-to-date spacesuits to the EVA habitat system. As the original provider of spacesuits for NASA, ILC Dover has proven that they have the expertise and the vision needed to be working on such an intricate system with human lives on the line. Their business focus lines up perfectly with innovation in the EVA habitat space — ILC Dover is a pristine choice to develop this component of the EVA habitat system.
ILC Dover’s vision of safety in the aerospace industry gives them the ethos they need to be able to manufacture spacesuits that are capable of progressing deep space travel. Due to their commitment to safety, ILC Dover’s focus lines up perfectly to the protection astronauts demand from their spacesuits. ILC Dover will provide the innovation necessary to progress the EVA space while sustaining the safety standards needed to keep astronauts safeguarded.
Credit: ILC Dover, https://www.ilcdoverastrospace.com/
Next Phase of Component 2
Right now, as you are reading this paper, the aerospace industry is going through a dramatic transformation. The consumer aerospace industry is quickly catching up to the lead set by the government-sponsored aerospace industry (NASA). To go to space you don’t need to be a NASA-vetted, ex-air-force cadet specialized in engineering anymore. Through ventures such as Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and Deep Blue, everyday common men and women can now go into space. This new reality is putting a lot of pressure on the future of spacesuit technology. Spacesuit technology and the EVA habitat sector will now have to adapt to the demands of common people going into space for the first time. “The next iteration of spacesuit technology will allow for more mobility, will be less complex, and will weigh less to meet the needs of regular, everyday people,” (Howell). The next version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) which was used on the Apollo missions will need to be extremely customizable, form-fitting, comfortable, and the components will need to be easily interchangeable to suit the needs of our newly-minted astronauts.
For future generations of spacesuits to be viable in the EVA habitat system, several needs will be met. Spacesuits will have to be easier to make and will last longer in storage. Currently, “NASA has a shortage of spacesuits,” (Fecht). This is a scenario that needs to be avoided because new spacesuits are expensive and complex to manufacture. This does not bode well for times of emergency. The next generation of spacesuits will be easier to manufacture, faster to manufacture, and less complex to manufacture, while simultaneously not compromising on quality and safety features. This will make it so more spacesuits are available when needed.
Bridging the Gap 2
The spacesuits and the EVA manufacturing space has its work cut out for it. One of the biggest bottlenecks for the future of deep space travel comes in the form of the lack of innovation in space suits over the last few decades. One example of this is when “NASA had to postpone an all-female spacewalk because the fit of their spacesuits was incompatible to fit the female astronauts,” (Howell). It is important that we bridge the gap in EVA technology between where it is now to where we want to go in terms of the future of deep space exploration. Spacesuits have to become more interchangeable to support a future of diverse astronaut candidates and “meet completely new suit requirements to send astronauts to Mars,” (BBC).
New prototype suits that have been unveiled for the near future are currently undergoing procedural tests to ensure that they are durable under pressure. Last year, an “MS1 Mars analog suit was tested by utilizing it to climb up a glacier on Iceland,”(Gohd). “The purpose of the test was to model the terrestrial environment of Mars and to see how the prototype of the suit would hold up to actual conditions,”(Gohd). Many more tests like these will have to be performed to figure out how best to fit a spacesuit to a wide range of body types to ensure a better fit when we go back to the moon and to Mars. When we have this data, we will be able to manufacture better fitting EVA spacesuits that enable a higher range of mobility. By testing the prototypes we will also get a better idea of how to make the parts of the new spacesuits interchangeable between persons of different body sizes. “Testing the prototype spacesuits in extreme areas such as Iceland gives us a good idea about how well they will stand up to the rough conditions on Mars,” (Gohd). We can further implement data on where or not prototype spacesuits stood up to rough conditions to manufacture our spacesuits with the best of materials.
(Image credit: Dave Hodge/Unexplored Media), https://www.space.com/mars-spacesuit-prototype-iceland-glacier-test.html
