William T. Wallace

Operational Air Quality Monitor: Scientific Studies in Preparation for Flight

The Air Quality Monitor (AQM), on board the International Space Station (ISS) as an experiment for almost two years, successfully monitored trace contaminant target compounds in the ISS atmosphere. The purpose of the AQM experiment was to assess the capability of the AQM to operate in the ISS environment and to identify areas where modifications to hardware and procedures might improve performance. The lessons learned from the experiment have been incorporated into the design and operational concept for the government furnished equipment (GFE) version of the hardware. This paper will provide a quick overview of the AQM technology, and then provide detailed explanations of the modifications that have improved its performance. Test data will be shown for the most critical change: better water management.