39
votes
Why aren't the radiators on the ISS straight?
From the horse's (Vought) mouth, the angle created between each panel and its corresponding scissor beam (20°) is to "provide structural stiffness":
The deployment is achieved by rotating ...
- 2,301
31
votes
Why aren't the radiators on the ISS straight?
This is a scissor mechanism, as used in lifts and pantographs. A fundamental property of the scissor mechanism geometry is that it cannot "open completely" (90* rotation of members) due to ...
- 18.1k
31
votes
Why aren't the radiators on the ISS straight?
The radiators are jointed because they were launched folded up into a flat stack.
This screenshot from the official NASA visualization tool DOUG shows one of the radiators partially retracted.
This ...
- 178k
15
votes
What keeps the pressure stable inside the ISS?
Wikipedia has a good overview of the ISS's ECLSS.
This paper also includes some details. In particular, the
Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS)
The ACS subsystem provides cabin atmosphere pressure ...
- 2,239
14
votes
Accepted
How does air circulate between modules on the ISS?
The Intermodule Ventilation (IMV) system
A final component of the atmospheric
control system is the Intermodular
Ventilation (IMV) shown in
Figure 4 for Node 2. The IMV
system is basically a bunch of ...
- 178k
9
votes
Accepted
Why was the Sabatier system removed from the ISS USOS?
Figure 4. Timeline of Recent OGA Events
The timeline say the Sabatier was removed and returned at 11/28/2017 for TT&E.
2019 - Advanced Oxygen Generation Assembly for Exploration Missions - Kevin ...
- 300
9
votes
Accepted
Is the silica gel used in the ISS recycled?
The author of that answer was confused by a poorly written NASA PR document.
The majority of the humidity control on the US part of the ISS is not done using silica gel. It is done using condensing ...
- 178k
8
votes
Life support system weight estimate
NASA has developed a tool for sizing ECLSS systems called ALSSAT (Advanced Life Support Sizing Analysis Tool).
There is a fairly detailed description available to read in the paper ALSSAT Development ...
- 178k
7
votes
Accepted
How are oxygen and nitrogen replenished in the storage tanks on the ISS?
The original ISS design called for High Pressure Gas Tanks (HPGTs) to be delivered by the shuttle. With the cessation of shuttle flights, a system called Nitrogen Oxygen Resupply System (NORS) was ...
- 178k
7
votes
Accepted
H2 and CO2 ventilated outboard of the ISS, could become ice flakes in the extreme temperatures outside the ISS?
Summary: The solidification temperatures given for CO2 or H2 in the original post are for atmospheric pressure. At the very low pressure at the altitude of the ISS, both CO2 and H2 will be gases at ...
- 1,950
6
votes
Accepted
Where, physically speaking, are CO2, Hydrogen and Methane ventilated on the ISS
The Regenerative Environmental Control System and Life Support System (ECLSS) racks are currently located in Node 3. This picture from a presentation about the Robotic External Leak Locator shows the ...
- 178k
5
votes
Accepted
How are the Archival Samples of water on the ISS handled?
There are many papers on NASA NTRS called "Analysis Results for Potable Water for ISS" for various expeditions and time frames. I have not looked at all of them.
How often are the samples ...
- 178k
4
votes
Accepted
What is the relationship between the power supply system and the thermal control system?
If my previous reasoning is correct, they would have to take over
100,000 J per second from the air.
All the heat resulting from the use of electricity does not end up in the cabin air. A lot of the ...
- 178k
4
votes
Accepted
How is CO₂ scrubbed from the air in a space vessel?
The US side of ISS uses a cyclic machine called the Carbon Dioxide Removal Apparatus (CDRA) to absorb CO2 from the air and then vent it to space.
You can read about the cycles of the CDRA in this ...
- 178k
3
votes
Pee processing in space
At least on the US side of the ISS, there is one processor for all, the Urine Processor Assembly.
Source: https://space.stackexchange.com/a/26629/6944 (see link for acronymology)
- 178k
2
votes
Accepted
What was the coolant that leaked out of the Soyuz?
Partial as I have insufficient time to check:
TL;DR:
External radiator that was punctured is said to have leaked isooctane according to this article.
https://nplus1.ru/material/2022/12/19/cto-proteklo-...
- 9,572
2
votes
Accepted
What will be the pressure inside the Orion spacecraft?
Answer: Orion’s Atmosphere Revitalization System performs to specification over a wide pressure range, from 8.3 to 14.7 psi. This range is available to mission planners and allows docking with other ...
- 18.1k
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