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Active TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 9)
Mars Campaign Office Life Support Systems is working on technologies for future Lunar and Martian missions. Nitrogen gas is a major constituent used for a mixed gas environment to mitigate flammability in the cabin. Cabin pressure control maintenance from hatch losses and re-pressurization from Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA) are key activities on a spacecraft that require make up nitrogen. Currently, the State of the Art method to resupply nitrogen is by tanks which poses a significant mass and volume constraint to a mission.
The Nitrogen Resupply project has explored two alternative methods:
1. Decomposition of Nitrous Oxide to recuperate the Nitrogen.
2. Recovery of gaseous Nitrogen from Cryogenic Nitrogen tanks.
Reduces the launch mass and volume constraints of taking makeup Nitrogen in tanks.
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