February 12, 1997

Linda Copley
Johnson Space Center
281-483-5111

Release: J97-003

Team Reaches 30-Day Mark in Test of Advanced Life Support

A four-person team living in a special air-tight chamber at the Johnson Space Center to test recyclable life support systems has reached the half-way point of it’s planned 60-day test.

The team is participating in the Phase IIA - International Space Station Life Support Test-the third in a series of tests being conducted at JSC that use physicochemical and biological methods to recycle air and water. Test participants reached the 30-day mark at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 12. The volunteer crew entered the three-story 20-foot diameter chamber on January 13 to spend up to 60 days investigating the use of mechanical and chemical means to recycle all air and water, including urine. These physicochemical air and water processors are the same types that will be used on board the International Space Station.

The test crew members are Crew Leader Terry Tri (35, JSC Project Manager, Bioregenerative Life Support Systems Complex ); Karen Meyers (33, Lockheed Martin Project Engineer); Fred Smith (31, JSC Systems Engineer); and Dave Staat (26, Lockheed Martin Facilities Project Engineer). They plan to remain in the chamber until March 14 to evaluate the effectiveness of the International Space Station regenerative life support systems.

The current test employs mechanical and chemical systems which are functionally the same as those which will be used on board the International Space Station to purify the team’s air and water supplies. The team members provide daily status reports on the operation of the air revitalization and water recovery systems, as well as crew habitability criteria. The team is also supporting evaluation of other International Space Station planned activities including medical, food systems, and specialized shifts for staffing monitoring consoles in the control room.

The public can access additional information about the test beginning Friday, February 14, at the following website address: http://pet.jsc.nasa.gov/chamber_test/

A press conference with the Advanced Life Support management team and test chamber crew is scheduled for March 5 at 10:00 a.m. A tour of the Advanced Life Support Program facilities will be conducted immediately after the press conference for attending media.

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