Preliminary Assessment of the Capabilities of a Novel Instrument for Particulate Matter Monitoring in Space Applications

To ensure astronaut health as well as proper operation and integrity of spacecraft cabin systems, it is imperative to have reliable instruments for continuous air quality monitoring. To this end, the development of an innovative in-situ airborne particle monitoring instrument was initiated. The instrument uses light scattering measurements at multiple angles to retrieve particulate matter (PM) size distribution and concentration in an in-situ monitored volume. This technology does not require air sampling with pumps or ventilators, which complies with operations in vacuum or low-pressure environments like those of the lunar or Martian surface. Furthermore, its reduced footprint makes it attractive for use in the cluttered volume of spacecraft cabins. This paper presents the latest research activities carried out with the in-Situ Individual Particle Sizer (iSIPS) apparatus. It describes a host of experiments designed to ascertain its capability to meet key requirements for air quality monitoring in spacecraft. The tests aim to demonstrate the detection and measurement of the mass concentration for a selection of PM types (e.g., lunar regolith simulant, smoke residues, and dust generated by crew activities) with sizes up to 10 μm. In addition, early experimental work is presented to show the instrument ability to differentiate various PM types from mono-composition releases or from a mixture of two (2) types. At last, the paper discusses the potential addition of characterization modules (e.g., polarization, fluorescence) to enhance the instrument capabilities in discriminating the monitored particulate types in terms of composition and shape.