Language
Country/Area
No result found
Amazing inventions in the Apollo mission: Why did PLSS allow astronauts to survive on the moon for 8 hours?
During the Apollo missions, astronauts successfully conducted multiple spacewalks on the moon, and behind all of this was an amazing invention called the Portable Life Support System (PLSS). PLSS serves as the lifeline for astronauts, providing essential oxygen, removing carbon dioxide and water vapor, and ensuring they can function normally in extreme environments.
PLSS provides all the life support functions astronauts require when not directly connected to the spacecraft.
The PLSS is designed to allow astronauts to move around as if they were wearing a backpack. Its main functions include regulating the pressure inside the space suit, supplying breathable oxygen, removing carbon dioxide, moisture, odors and other pollutants, and Cool and circulate oxygen and water. The technology wasn't limited to the Apollo missions, and was later used in space suits for the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.
PLSS of Apollo
The portable life support systems used by the Apollo missions included lithium hydroxide to remove carbon dioxide from breathing air, and liquid cooling suits to circulate water to discharge excess heat into space, forming ice crystals . This process not only ensures the astronauts' life needs, but also lowers their core body temperature and prevents heat stroke.
During the Apollo 11-14 missions, the astronauts' lunar surface activity time was limited to four hours, but with the extended missions of Apollo 15-17, their activity time was increased to eight hours.
To achieve this increase, the PLSS's oxygen storage pressure was increased and the amounts of lithium hydroxide and cooling water were increased. This allowed astronauts to fly in the moon's suspended environment for longer periods of time, demonstrating humanity's ability to explore space.
PLSS of the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station
As space exploration progressed, the design of the PLSS evolved. In the space shuttle and the International Space Station, NASA introduced new life support systems that more efficiently process oxygen and carbon dioxide and enhanced environmental comfort through liquid-cooled suits. These space suits not only ensure the safety of astronauts' lives, but also minimize consumption.
These systems are typically set at 4.3 psi to ensure efficiency and safety for astronauts in outer space.
Behind these key technologies is a lot of research and testing to ensure that astronauts can get adequate survival support even in the most extreme conditions.
Future PLSS Technology
Future PLSS will consider more new technologies that can be applied. For example, pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology is seen as a potential improvement solution in future PLSS. This technology can more efficiently separate carbon dioxide from the gas and, through a continuous regeneration process, enable more efficient use than existing lithium hydroxide.
Through the development of this technology, future astronauts will be able to operate in extreme environments for longer periods of time without the limitations of system saturation.
Scientists are working hard to develop new solutions to meet the needs of future space missions. For example, as humanity continues to explore the solar system, how to keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space missions has become a top priority in scientific research.
As the early Apollo missions taught us, PLSS is more than just a simple life support system; it is actually the cornerstone of human exploration of space. This also prompts us to reflect on what challenges future space exploration will face and how we can overcome these challenges?
