Volatile organic components in the Skylab 4 spacecraft atmosphere.

Area of Science:

• Spacecraft environmental monitoring
• Analytical chemistry
• Human metabolism studies

Background:

• Understanding spacecraft cabin atmosphere composition is crucial for astronaut health and mission safety.
• Previous studies have identified various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in enclosed environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and quantify volatile organic components in the Skylab 4 spacecraft cabin atmosphere.
• To characterize the chemical composition of the air astronauts breathed during the mission.

Main Methods:

• Solid adsorbent trapping of volatile organic components from the spacecraft atmosphere.
• Post-flight analysis using high-resolution gas chromatography (GC).
• Identification of compounds using mass spectrometry (MS).

Main Results:

• Over 300 VOCs detected, with concentrations ranging from less than 1 part per billion (ppb) to 8000 ppb.
• Approximately 100 components identified by GC-MS, with molecular weights from 58 to 592.
• Identified compounds included alkanes, alkenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, alcohols, fluorocarbons (freons), and methylsiloxanes.

Conclusions:

• The Skylab 4 spacecraft atmosphere contained a complex mixture of VOCs, including those from human metabolism and materials used in the spacecraft.
• The findings provide valuable data for future spacecraft environmental control and life support system designs.
• This study highlights the importance of continuous monitoring of spacecraft air quality.