Daryl N. Rasmussen

Operational Considerations for the Space Station Life Science Glovebox

The U.S. Laboratory (USL) module on Space Station will house a biological research facility for multidisciplinary research using living plant and animal specimens. Environmentally closed chambers isolate the specimen habitats, but specimens must be removed from these chambers during research procedures as well as while the chambers are being cleaned. An enclosed, sealed Life Science Glovebox (LSG) is the only locale in the USL where specimens can be accessed by crew members. This paper discusses the key science, engineering and operational considerations and constraints involving the LSG, such as bioisolation, accessibility, and functional versatility.

Life Sciences Research Facility Automation Requirements and Concepts for the Space Station

An evaluation is made of the methods and preliminary results of a study on prospects for the automation of the NASA Space Stations Life Sciences Research Facility. In order to remain within current Space Station resource allocations, approximately 85 percent of planned life science experiment tasks must be automated; these tasks encompass specimen care and feeding, cage and instrument cleaning, data acquisition and control, sample analysis, waste management, instrument calibration, materials inventory and management, and janitorial work. Task automation will free crews for specimen manipulation, tissue sampling, data interpretation and communication with ground controllers, and experiment management.

Measurements, modeling, control and simulation— as applied to the human left ventricle for purposeful physiological monitoring

Abstract Interdisciplinary engineering research effort (with medical interaction) in the measurement, modeling, control and simulation of the intact human left ventricle (involving closed-chest nontraumatic procedures) has been employed to physiologically monitor the heart and obtain its “state-of-health” characteristics. Of the four heart chambers, we have chosen the left ventricle to characterize cardiac performance: because it is the left ventricle that pumps blood into the circulatory system and hence its performance plays a key role in supplying energy to the body cells to enable them to sustain life. The importance and techniques for measurement of the left ventricular geometry are presented; the geometry is effectively displayed (on-line) to bring out the abnormalities in cardiac function. Mathematical modeling of the left ventricle is presented; the modeling, with the help of measurement data, enables us to determine the performance of the intact left ventricular muscle subject as reflected by, say, its oxygen consumption rate. A control system for the left ventricle is presented in order to incorporate the effects of dynamic changes in the circulatory system on the left ventricles performance; the control system enables us to predict the effect of a certain physiological stress situation (such as exercise) on the left ventricles performance.

A telescience monitoring and control concept for a CELSS plant growth chamber

Consideration is given to the use of telescience to monitor and control a Space Station CELSS plant growth chamber (PGC). The proposed telescience control system contains controllers for PGC subsystems, a local master controller, and remote controllers. The benefits of telescience are discussed and the functional requirements of the PGC are outlined. A typical monitoring and control scenario is described. It is suggested that the proposed concept would provide remote access to a ground-based CELSS research facility, Space Station plant growth facilities, lunar-based CELSS facilities, and manned interplanetary spacecraft.

A testbed architecture for evaluating Space Station telescience operations

The telescience and testbedding concepts to be implemented using the Space Station are briefly reviewed. In particular, attention is given to the conceptual view of the hardware and software elements of the testbeds, their relationship to the Space Station end-to-end architecture, and the methodologies for telescience operations. It is shown that properly used testbedding mechanisms can be used to gain sufficient experience to define requirements and concepts for science experiments, payload development, design of information system elements, and engineering considerations for Space Station hardware and operations.

Telescience Concept for Habitat Monitoring and Control

The operational environment for life sciences on the Space Station will incorporate telescience, a new set of operational modes for conducting science and operations remotely. This paper presents payload functional requirements for Space Station Life Sciences habitat monitoring and control and describes telescience concepts and technologies which meet these requirements. Special considerations for designing sensors and effectors to accommodate future evolutions in technology are discussed.

OSSA Space Station waste inventory

NASAs Office of Space Science and Applications has compiled an inventory of the types and quantities of the wastes that will be generated by the Space Stations initial operational phase in 35 possible mission scenarios. The objective of this study was the definition of waste management requirements for both the Space Station and the Space Shuttles servicing it. All missions, when combined, will produce about 5350 kg of gaseous, liquid and solid wastes every 90 days. A characterization has been made of the wastes in terms of toxicity, corrosiveness, and biological activity.

Water management requirements for animal and plant maintenance on the Space Station

Long-duration Space Station experiments that use animals and plants as test specimens will require increased automation and advanced technologies for water management in order to free scientist-astronauts from routine but time-consuming housekeeping tasks. The three areas that have been identified as requiring water management and that are discusseed are: (1) drinking water and humidity condensate of the animals, (2) nutrient solution and transpired water of the plants, and (3) habitat cleaning methods. Automation potential, technology assessment, crew time savings, and resupply penalties are also discussed.