Sherwin Gormly

Forward Osmosis Cargo Transfer Bag

All human space missions, regardless of destination, require significant logistical mass and volume. The amount required is a function of the mission duration. Reducing this logistical mass and volume by reusing items that would otherwise become trash can reduce launch weight and consequently mission costs. This paper describes a logistics reduction technology based on repurposing International Space Station (ISS) Crew Transfer Bags (CTB). CTBs are fabric cargo containers, which conform to specific dimensional and material requirements for space flight. This paper describes the development of a Forward Osmosis Cargo Transfer Bag (FO-CTB) that can be reused on orbit to provide radiation sheading and water recycling capacity. The design, construction and testing of a prototype FO-CTB at the Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-Rats) Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) in 2011 is described. In addition, a summary of the results of a flight experiment performed to evaluate the effect of microgravity on the forward osmosis (FO) membrane bags used in the FO-CTB is also discussed. Future plans for the continued development of the FO-CTB are also discussed.

Sustainability Base Graywater Recycling System

This paper describes the design history, prototyping, and predictive testing of a graywater recycling system designed for the new NASA Ames green Federal building. The goal of developing this water recycling system is to both reduce the building’s water consumption and provide a laboratory for the long duration testing of a next generation spacecraft water recycling system. The project will also demonstrate the feasibility of recycling graywater inside an office building and will help to define a permitting and monitoring process that can be applied to other sites. The Sustainability Base water recycling system has been designed to treat hygiene water and reuse it as toilet flush water. The technology is based on the integration of forward and reverse osmosis membrane systems. The system is expected to reduce water consumption in the building by about 60%. The graywater treatment system is a larger version of a technology developed by NASA for the treatment of spacecraft wastewater. Operational testing of this system in the Sustainability Base building will provide the long duration performance data which is required to evaluate the technology for future human space flight applications.

Engineering Methods for Europan Relevant Biosignature Development

One of the primary driving forces for space exploration in the foreseeable future is astrobiology, and specifically the search for a plausible sign of life beyond Earth. Because of the size of the potential saltwater ocean involved, Europa is potentially the most interesting, and possibly the only, currently viable (for life) environment in the solar system. It also presents the possibility of remote sensing evaluation for presence or absence of biotic and/or pre-biotic organic material. The material of interest is the non-ice (referring to water ice) surface material near features that have the potential of being in recent communication with the postulated ocean below. An analysis of this material using a full range of inorganic, pre-biotic organic, and metabolically relevant biologic materials as spectrum calibrating target materials, examined under Europan surface conditions, is a daunting proposition. A comprehensive attempt is still pending. This study involves the collection and growth of psychrophilic (low temperature), halophilic (high salt), anaerobic cultures in high sulfate environments. These cultures are intended as reflected spectrum target materials, based on relevant biomass, for comparison to Europan non-ice surface materials. The selection, collection, development (growth) and examination of this biotic material (blomass) requires the use of stringent, and in some cases extreme, environmental controls. It also requires the extrapolation of standard environmental engineering sampling and laboratory analysis procedures for use in comparison with, and interpretation of, data from a profoundly extreme and unfamiliar environment. The function of this study is to demonstrate the use of environmental engineering techniques and processes (test methodology) necessary to develope a reasonable biosignature related to the Europan target environment.