Air quality monitoring for the International Space Station applicable to aircraft cabins and cockpits

Abstract

New multigas measurement technology has been developed as part of and in parallel with a series of projects for the European Space Agency (ESA). Based on well-established Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and novel calibration and analysis methods, ESA’s Analysing Interferometer for Ambient Air (ANITA) system has successfully demonstrated continuous air quality monitoring on the International Space Station (ISS). ANITA performed automatic multigas measurements in quasireal time with high sensitivity, specificity, stability and reliability. The novel analysis techniques are well suited also for general workplace air monitoring, industrial processes and other multicomponent measurement tasks.