Development of a Sensitive, Hand-held, Real-time Formaldehyde Monitor for Spaceflight Operations

Formaldehyde (HCHO) exposures for crew members are closely monitored in human spaceflight, as the acceptable limit is low. Currently-planned trace contaminant monitors for Exploration missions cannot meet HCHO sensitivity requirements, leaving the programs with limited insight into this compound, particularly for post-quiescence. This project aims to develop a small, portable, real-time HCHO monitor with high sensitivity for in-flight and ground-based operations with minimal crew maintenance requirements utilizing technology with spaceflight heritage. Year 2 will build on the successes of year 1, in which a HCHO inlet was developed and interfaced with a differential mobility spectrometer detector, linear response to HCHO was observed, and automated control and analysis by the instrument was performed.​

The development of a small, portable formaldehyde monitioring instrument will aid in crew safety when entering new spacecraft or modules. Additionally, the technology can be expanded to hydrazine detection, which will provide additional safety during propellant loading and following landing.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.