ABSTRACT
Analysing Interferometer for Ambient Air (ANITA) is a flight experiment as precursor for a permanent continuous trace gas monitoring system on the International Space Station (ISS). For over 10 years, under various ESA contracts the flight experiment was defined, designed, breadboarded and set up. For the safety of the crew, ANITA can detect and quantify quasi on-line and simultaneously 32 trace gases with ppm or sub-ppm detection limits. The self-standing measurement system is based on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) technology. The system represents a versatile air monitor allowing for the first time the detection and monitoring of trace gas dynamics of a spacecraft atmosphere. It is envisaged to accommodate ANITA in a Destiny (US LAB) Express Rack on the ISS. The transportation to the ISS is planned with the first ATV 'Jules Verne'. The options are either the Space Shuttle or the Automated Transfer Vehicle.
Subject(s)
Air Pollution, Indoor/analysis , Environmental Monitoring/instrumentation , Gases/analysis , Space Flight/instrumentation , Spacecraft/instrumentation , Air Conditioning/instrumentation , Air Pollutants/analysis , Calibration , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Equipment Design , Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform InfraredABSTRACT
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is an efficient technique for the detection and quantification of molecules in gas mixtures. Measurement results from a mobile laboratory for ambient air analysis and for remote sensing of plume emission with the commercially available K300 spectrometer are reported. CO, CO(2), NO, NO(2), N(2)O, NH(3), CH(4), SO(2), H(2)O, HCl, and HCHO concentrations have been determined with good agreement with in situ results. The on-line multicomponent analysis software is based on line-by-line retrieval and least-squares fitting procedures, including the effects of multiple aerosol scattering and cloud and rain influences.
