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One of the most closely related system to the life of crew in a manned spacecraft is the Environment Control and Life Support System. ECLSS includes such functions as temperature control, humidity control, pressure control, air circulation, carbon dioxide removal and concentration, carbon dioxide reduction and oxygen generation, and contamination control. The first Japanese space habitable system called JEM (Japanese Experimental Module) will be operated by being attached to the U.S. Space Station. Several functions such as CO2 and trace contaminant control are considered in JEM. while others are dependent on the U.S. module. (1)* It is necessary to expand ECLS functions for the future Japanese peculiar space station. Solid Amine water desorbed carbon dioxide removal and concetration test bed using heat recovery provision for the energy saving operation has been successfully tested with more than 99% of carbon dioxide concentration purity.

The Space Station provides a unique facility for conducting material processing and life science experiments under microgravity conditions. These conditions place special requirements on the U.S. Laboratory for storing and transporting chemicals and process fluids, reclaiming water from selected experiments, treating and storing experiment wastes, and providing vacuum utilities. To meet these needs and provide a safe laboratory environment, the Process Material Management System (PMMS) is being developed. Preliminary design requirements and concepts related to the PMMS are addressed in addition to discussing the MSFC PMMS breadboard test facility and a preliminary plan for validating the overall system design. The system contains a fluid handling subsystem which manages process fluids required by each experiment while a chemical storage facility safely stores potentially hazardous chemicals.

ILC Dover, Inc. under contract to the United States Air Force Human Systems Division (AFSC) has developed a prototype laboratory test garment known as the “Advanced High Altitude Flight Suit” (AHAFS). The suit incorporates technologies first developed for NASA with the Apollo and Shuttle programs, but optimized in their present iteration for long term uninflated wear (as emergency decompression protection) in pressurized aircraft cockpits. The program has additionally attempted to achieve better mobility in the pressurized state by defining and systematically addressing a specified mobility envelope. Related construction techniques employ single and double axis “soft” joints, which can be engineered to permit full access to existing or contemplated cockpit designs. Proper balancing of wall tensions across these joints has resulted in lower suit loads, increased mobility, and established the feasibility of a higher suit operating pressure (5 psi).

Tests were conducted to compare the thermal performance of five types of wafer thin coolers; a double pass microchannel cooler, two types of single pass microchannel coolers, and two versions of an impingement cooler. The primary application of these devices is to remove heat from compact gallium arsenide diode wafers used in laser communications, but they can also be applied to a variety of other applications ranging from high density electronic packaging to hypersonic surfaces. The coolers were designed to absorb heat fluxes of over 100 W/cm2 with minimal surface temperature gradients. The coolers had a heat input area of 1 cm2, used water as the cooling fluid and had thicknesses ranging from 1 to 1.8 mm. One single pass microchannel cooler was made of beryllium oxide. The other four coolers were made of copper. A. special heat flux amplifier was built to obtain the high heat flux values with conventional heaters, and to provide instrumentation to determine temperature gradients.

NASA's Office of Exploration currently is studying a range of initiative options that would extend the sphere of human activity in space to Mars, and includes permanent bases or outposts on the Moon and Mars. These missions are challenging in many technology areas, not the least of which is life support, where the requirements for long term, remote operations, with long supply lines, place major demands on life support systems for safety, reliability and performance. The scenarios being developed by the Office of Exploration will serve as guides to the selection of a new exploration initiative for NASA. In the current phase of the process, it is important to explore some of the critical elements, such as the advanced life support area, to determine whether the proposed missions can be accomodated with current knowledge, or whether additional technological advances are necessary.

The regenerate two-bed carbon dioxide removal system, utilizing carbon molecular sieve (CMS), represents a significant advancement over the current Space Station four-bed zeolite molecular sieve baseline system. To demonstrate the feasibility of the CMS system approach. AiResearch conducted system performance tests on a two-bed system created by modifying the existing flight qualified Skylab regenerable carbon dioxide removal system. Results of the performance tests confirmed the two-bed CMS system approach as a viable candidate for Space Station regenerable carbon dioxide removal.

Long-term manned operation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Space Station will require the use of regenerative processes for the revitalization of the Spacecraft atmosphere. Life Systems, Inc. (Life Systems), in conjunction with NASA's effort to mature water electrolysis technology for applications in the Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), is developing an alkaline-based Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) which utilizes the Static Feed Electrolyzer (SFE) concept. The OGA is required on the Space Station to provide metabolic oxygen (O2) for the crew, compensate for O2 lost overboard due to Space Station leakage, supply O2 for airlock repressurization and provide hydrogen (H2) for the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Strategic planning for human space exploration early in the 21st century has addressed two major missions - a lunar outpost/base and a piloted Mars mission. Such missions into the space environment, lasting perhaps 1–3 years, will impose unprecedented conditions on providing for human sustenance, well-being, and performance. The conditions may be categorized as: significantly increased time away from earth, unaccustomed risk and environmental stress, and an unrelieved, total dependence on advanced technological systems. A program approach, embodied in the Humans-in-Space thrust of the proposed Project Pathfinder, is described that would determine the critical human and technology requirements and develop the enabling technologies for human self-sufficiency and productivity on these missions.

Airlines and Airports are pace setters in the introduction and use of new technology. An example is the Visual Display Unit, its potential being steadily developed to make use of computer held data and applied to a growing number of applications in the race for improved performance. The VDU displays the computer produced related information accurately and quickly. Used effectively it speeds and smooths the flow of passengers through the airport.

Automated cargo systems are becoming more complex as greater volumes of air freight must be handled in less time with lower costs. The risk associated with implementing these systems is demanding that more sophisticated techniques be exploited in their design. Computer simulation affords a means of prototyping a design in software before configuration commitments must be made. This paper provides an introduction to simulation and the major pitfalls to be avoided. The application of simulation to an actual air cargo system is discussed along with the use of computer graphics to animate system behavior.

THE AUTOMATION OF DIRECT and indirect air carrier operations is essential for growth and for carriers to maintain competitiveness in a deregulated transportation environment. The automation of commercial shippers' traffic operations is necessary to dramatically reduce the overall cost for transportation of goods while improving operational efficiency and effectiveness. The matter of computerization of transportation operations should be placed on today's agenda if companies involved in transportation are to compete and maximize profits in the 1990's. The traffic manager without automation, is an obsolete traffic manager.

In the language of Logistics, Airports represent transformers between transport in-land and by Air; most of the technology developed for warehouses and distribution centers could undoubtedly be used in Airport operations just as well. However, in many Airports so far, a lot of work has been done on those activities that are specific to Airlines, whereas not all innovations developed for the more down-to-earth activities are exploited; there is scope for further advancement, and I wish to highlight some opportunities.

Since deregulation, the passenger and cargo market have taken on a new prospective in the air transportation industry. Todays demanding cargo market require: Shorter on ground turn around time Reduced conversion time for convertible aircraft Increased reliability Low Maintenance Reduced labor costs New aircraft development will also give strong consideration to the factors listed above since the cost of ownership plays a very significant role in the purchase of new airplanes.

An airframe manufacturer is compelled to include the requirements of the air cargo transport market, existing and anticipated, in the definition of its products- A combi aircraft, derived from the passenger version, requires configuration flexibility. With the addition of an aft located main deck cargo door, six (6) 96 in × 125 in pallets may be carried on the main deck. All six (6) pallets can be loaded to a 96 in high contour, with both lateral upper corners cut. A number of other ULDs can be accommodated, e.g the AHA container, up to the 20 ft pallet. The flexibility to adapt to market requirements and i.e. airline route networks is achieved by the convertibility from the typical passenger layout with six (6) to five (5) to four (4) pallet combi configurations up to an all-passenger mode, with particular attention to conversion times.

A new approach to analyzing the effectiveness of shoring (any method of spreading out concentrated loads) has been developed which allows air cargo operators to carry cargo which would otherwise exceed airplane structural capabilities. This analysis technique gives the operators a set of tools to determine shoring requirements for any piece of cargo. With these tools, an airplane's capability to handle outsized cargo can be significantly expanded.

This paper deals with a conceptual aircraft cargo loader “that can do everything” commonly referred to as The Super Loader. The Super Loader is intended for use at air terminals to transport loads such as palletized cargo, containers, wheeled vehicles, shelters, and airdrop platforms from the storage docks to the military and civil aircraft, and vice versa. The loader may be described as a self-propelled, air transportable (in a C-141, C-17, C-5) 60,000 lb lifting capacity, adjustable height vehicle that will load/off load all transport aircraft from a C-130 whose cargo deck is only 3 feet, 3 inches high to a B-747 whose main deck upper limit is about 18 feet high. The Super Loader must also service the lower lobes of wide-bodies and main decks of narrow-bodied aircraft like the DC-8 and B-707. In brief, this loader will be required to interface with both civil and military cargo systems, present and future.

The ability to carry cargo efficiently in passenger aircraft has influenced airline economics to the point that optimisation of the freight capacity is mandatory. This document discusses the alternative loading possibilities in defined Lover Deck Compartments and their doors to cater for current and future trends in ULD dimensions. As a result items for study centred on: 1) Optimisation of the available volumes Freight capacity resulting in the selection of “Pallets”-doors for both the Forward and AFT Compartments. Flexibility to meet Freight and Baggage requirements. Possible load arrangements to optimize aircraft C of G 2) Bulk Cargo Compartment Additional LD3 Container position in AFT/Bulk compartment to cater for an uneven number of Baggage container, allowing the carriage of an additional pallet. What is regarded as an optimum is presented.

Technological advances combined with increasing historical experiences now enable improved planning of future inter-modal cargo terminals. Terminal costs can be reduced and terminal efficiency increased by proper advanced planning. Recognition of changing factors and technology is vital in planning new terminals. Each terminal has unique requirements to satisfy. Major factors can now be identified and considered.

This paper presents an efficient adhesively bonded joint design for application to a composite space frame. After preliminary investigations were conducted to evaluate several alternative joint configurations, an adhesively bonded insert type T-joint was chosen for use in a composite space frame because of its high specific stiffness and large bond area. The stiffnesses of each joint were investigated both analytically and experimentally. Since the lower rail is the primary load bearing member, the joints along it were selected for a detailed study. Two types of analyses were completed. First, a formulation based on the layered beam concept and strain energy theorems was used as an approximate measure to evaluate the effects of varying geometrical parameters. The relationships between joint flange width, insert thickness, and weight were considered. Using the geometry determined by the approximate formulation, a finite element analysis was completed.