Overview:
NASA’s Glenn Research Center is seeking fire residue cleanup technologies for surfaces exposed to acid gases and smoke particulates during a fire in a sealed spacecraft.
Background:
During space missions, fires can sometimes break out inside the sealed spacecraft. Once extinguished, these fires leave behind residues such as acid gases (e.g., Hydrogen Chloride) and smoke particulates which can be harmful to the crew and spacecraft if left untreated. These substances penetrate the material, corroding metal surfaces, etching glass, staining fabrics. Without thorough cleaning, these contaminants can fall off materials or desorb over time; therefore, specialized cleaning technologies to clean the surfaces and neutralize the acids effectively, without releasing any hazardous vapors are required.
Constraints:
- Must be small and light enough to be well suited to a spaceflight mission
- A shelf life of approximately 18 months is desirable
- Must not contain any hazardous chemicals which are not permitted in the International Space Station (e.g., high percentage alcohol products, any flammable substances)
- Moisture release into the air should be limited.
- Materials or chemicals must not self-combust in an enclosed environment
- Devices must be low power (desirable to be less than 50 Watts)
Possible solution areas:
- Specialized wipes
- Plasma cleaning
- Ultrasonic cleaning
- Coating technologies
- Microbubbles
Related TechNeeds:
Seeking: US Commercial Partners with Space Technology Capabilities
NASA Seeking: Cold Stowage Technologies
