Open AccessChanges in the Optical Properties of Simulated Shuttle Waste Water Deposits: Urine Darkening
Author(s) -
Keith Albyn,
David Edwards,
John Alred
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of spacecraft and rockets
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.758
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1533-6794
pISSN - 0022-4650
DOI - 10.2514/1.2430
Subject(s) - spacecraft , missile , space shuttle , aerospace engineering , space (punctuation) , spacecraft design , systems engineering , space station freedom , space exploration , environmental science , computer science , astrobiology , mechanical engineering , engineering , physics , operating system
Manned spacecraft have historically dumped the crew generated waste water overboard, into the environment in which the spacecraft operates, sometimes depositing the waste water on the external spacecraft surfaces. The change in optical properties of wastewater deposited on spacecraft external surfaces, from exposure to space environmental effects, is not well understood. This study used nonvolatile residue (NVR) from Human Urine to simulate wastewater deposits and documents the changes in the optical properties of the NVR deposits after exposure to ultra violet(UV)radiation. Twenty four NVR samples of, 0-angstromes/sq cm to 1000-angstromes/sq cm, and one sample contaminated with 1 to 2-mg/sq cm were exposed to UV radiation over the course of approximately 6151 equivalent sun hours (ESH). Random changes in sample mass, NVR, solar absorbance, and infrared emission were observed during the study. Significant changes in the UV transmittance were observed for one sample contaminated at the mg/sq cm level.
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