Alvin Y. Huang

Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) leak plume field detection on the International Space Station (ISS)

The Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) was deployed to the International Space Station (ISS) with the objective of demonstrating the ability to detect and locate small leaks. On-orbit operations began in late November 2016 and following scanning activities to characterize the natural and induced environment of the ISS, RELL focused on the United States External Active Thermal Control System (EATCS). RELL successfully detected ammonia related to a known small ammonia leak in the port-side EATCS, with the highest pressure values around the inboard Radiator Beam Valve Module 1 (RBVM 1). An additional day of scanning was subsequently performed in December 2017 to focus on RBVM 1. RELL was approved for additional external operations in February 2017 with the goal of fine tuning the location of the leak. Using grid scanning patterns, RELL detected ammonia around RBVM 1 and located the approximate source of the leak. The potential leak site was inspected by a crew member during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA) in March 2017, and the suspected radiator-side lines were isolated from the port-side EATCS coolant loop in April 2017. Subsequent monitoring of the system pressures showed that the leak has stopped, indicating RELL accurately located the source of the EATCS leak. These activities verify that RELL enhances the ISS Program’s ability to not only locate small leaks, but isolate the source with minimal impact to the entire ISS system.

Natural and Induced Environment around the International Space Station (ISS) as Observed during On-Orbit Operations of the Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL)

The Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) was deployed to the International Space Station (ISS) with the goal of detecting and locating on-orbit leaks around the ISS. Three activities to characterize the background natural and induced environment of ISS were performed with RELL as part of the on-orbit validation and demonstration conducted in November – December 2016. The first demonstration activity pointed RELL directly in the ram (+X) and wake (-X) directions for one orbit each. The ram facing measurements showed high partial pressure for mass-to-charge ratio 16, corresponding to atomic oxygen (AO), as well as the presence of mass-to-charge ratio 17. RELL’s view in the wake-facing direction included more ISS structure and several Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) on-orbit vents were detected, including the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), Russian segment ECLSS, and Sabatier vents. The second demonstration activity pointed RELL at three faces of the P1 Truss segment. Effluents from ECLSS and European Space Agency (ESA) Columbus module on-orbit vents were detected by RELL. The partial pressures of massto- charge ratios 17 and 18 remained consistent with the first on-orbit activity of characterizing the natural environment. The third demonstration activity involved RELL scanning an Active Thermal Control System (ATCS) radiator. Three locations along the radiator were scanned and the angular position of RELL with respect to the radiator was varied. Mass-to-charge ratios 16 and 17 both had upward shifts in partial pressure when pointing toward the Radiator Beam Valve Modules (RBVMs), likely corresponding to a known, small ammonia leak.

International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) vent flow reflection and detection by Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) [STUB]

On-orbit Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) (i.e., mass spectrometer and ion gauge) measurements on the International Space Station (ISS) are presented to show the detection of recurring Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) vents at multiple ISS locations and RELL pointing directions. The path of ECLSS effluents to the RELL detectors is not entirely obvious at some locations, but the data indicates that diffuse gas-surface reflection or scattering resulting from plume interaction with vehicle surfaces is responsible. RELL was also able to confirm the ISS ECLSS constituents and distinguish them from the ammonia leak based on the ion mass spectra and known venting times during its operation to locate a leak in the ISS port-side External Active Thermal Control System (EATCS) coolant loop.

The Demonstration of a Robotic External Leak Locator on the International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) and all currently conceivable future manned spacecraft are susceptible to mission impacts due to fluid/gas leaks to the exterior environment. For example, there is a well-known risk of ammonia leaks from the ISS External Thermal Control System loops and currently no method to locate them. It was, therefore, critical to develop a method for detecting and locating leaks to preserve vehicle health. The Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) was developed and deployed to the ISS to provide this capability. An on-orbit validation and demonstration was successfully completed in December 2016 and leak locating operations occurred in February 2017. This paper discusses the results of those exercises including measurements of the environment around ISS, detection of the small ammonia leak and implementation of leak locating methodologies.

Materials Outgassing Rate Decay in Vacuum at Isothermal Conditions

As a laboratory for scientific research, the International Space Station has been in Low Earth Orbit for over 17 years and is planned to be on-orbit for another 10 years. The ISS has been maintaining a relatively pristine contamination environment for science payloads. Materials outgassing induced contamination is currently the dominant source for sensitive surfaces on ISS and modelling the outgassing rate decay over a 20 to 30 year period is challenging. Using ASTM E 1559 rate data, materials outgassing is described herein as a diffusion-reaction process with the interface playing a key role. The observation of -1/2 (diffusion) or non-integers (reaction limited) as rate decay exponents for common ISS materials indicate classical reaction kinetics is unsatisfactory in modelling materials outgassing. Nonrandomness of reactant concentrations at the interface is the source of this deviation from classical reaction kinetics. A t-1/2 decay is adopted as the result of the correlation of the contaminant layer thicknesses and composition on returned ISS hardware, the existence of high outgassing silicone exhibiting near diffusion limited decay, the confirmation of nondepleted material after ten years in Low Earth Orbit, and a potential slowdown of long term materials outgassing kinetics due to silicone contaminants at the interface.

Characterizing the Optical Performance of AZ93 with a Fluoropolymer Overcoat under Ultraviolet Exposure

AZ93 with a fluoropolymer overcoat is an option to simplify ground handling of space hardware. The overcoat applied on some on-orbit International Space Station (ISS) hardware provides contamination protection for optically sensitive ceramic thermal control coatings. However, if the fluoropolymer is not eroded on-orbit by atomic oxygen (AO), then it will darken. This will increase the solar absorptance resulting in possible thermal performance degradation. If the fluoropolymer overcoat was not present, optical performance would be significantly improved. To characterize the optical performance of the AZ93 with the fluoropolymer overcoat for modeling the UV degradation, laboratory testing of the coating was performed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Sample coupons prepared by AZ Technology were exposed under vacuum to ultraviolet radiation. At periodic intervals, the samples were removed from the testing chamber to acquire images and to measure the solar absorptance. The images showed visible differences between AZ93 with the overcoat and without the overcoat as vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) exposure increased. Darkening is more pronounced in the samples with the fluoropolymer overcoat. This was also evident in the solar absorptance measurements. Optical properties of AZ93 with the fluoropolymer overcoat significantly degraded in comparison to those without the overcoat. A short period of little change followed by an exponential rise in solar absorptance was observed. The optical degradation of the fluoropolymer overcoat is described in terms of surface reaction chemistry and kinetics and is found to follow a pseudo first order reaction rate.