As Mike Lotto, LifeLAB Graduate Research Assistant explains, “With interplanetary missions, you can only bring a finite amount of resources with you because of mass constraints. These missions are all about recycling, reusing and reclaiming.” 

AETHER

 

This air revitalization rig can be used to test methods of recycling resources, such as oxygen and water, for the astronauts. It allows for the mixing of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas to create the desired atmospheric conditions. For example, the rig can be used to create the atmospheric conditions astronauts would encounter aboard the International Space Station.

Because the AETHER rig is open for use by bioastronautics researchers and faculty, it has been used to conduct a variety of experiments. 

Currently, the International Space Station uses the "Sabatier" reaction to extract oxygen from carbon dioxide produced by astronauts. The Sabatier process involves the reaction of hydrogen with carbon dioxide to produce water and methane. The water from this reaction then undergoes electrolysis to extract oxygen. Unfortunately, the hydrogen contained within the methane cannot be reclaimed and it is vented overboard. The AETHER rig is being used to look for strategies of oxygen production that do not require the loss of hydrogen. 

The AETHER rig has also been used to test the viability of employing algae as a method of air revitalization aboard next generation vehicles. The algea would produce the oxygen the astronauts need, while absorbing the carbon dioxide they produce - all without generating waste! These algae could also serve as food for the astronauts (algae... yum). 

-Written By: Ari Sandberg, Intern